Fort Lewis College’s, Robert Noyce Scholarship, is a grant supported by the National Science Foundation, awarding yearly scholarships of >$10,000 to undergraduate and post-baccalaureate science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) majors who are pursuing a career in teaching. In return for every year of funding received, students commit to teaching two years in a high-need district after graduation.
Like much of the country, Colorado is experiencing a teacher shortage especially in the areas of highly qualified math and science teachers. The Colorado Department of Education believes these shortages are at a near crisis level in rural areas such as the Four Corners where schools have a particularly hard time retaining math and science teachers.
The Four Corners Noyce Scholars (FCNS) program is intentionally designed to provide potential math and science teachers the skills needed to be successful in the Four Corners region. Program activities and academic preparation through the FCNS will equip teachers to bring equity and understanding to the classroom, while acknowledging that factors from outside the classroom may still impact student learning. FLC will provide Noyce Scholars with additional cultural competency training and mentoring in the first year of teaching to provide highly engaging and appropriate lessons in the math and science fields, and increase teachers’ sense of success in the classroom.
Get involved in some of these local events and opportunities to bring alive your curiosity about teaching math or science. These are great opportunities to get a taste for working with elementary, middle, and high school students, or if you already know that’s your path, you’ll bolster your experience, and likely have a lot of fun in the process.