U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $1,199,384 in federal funding for Ithaca College. The funding was allocated through the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Robert Noyce Scholarship Program and will be used help recruit, train and retain science, technology, energy and mathematics (STEM) educators, specifically from diverse backgrounds. The federal funding will be used by a program that offers stipends to potential educators while they complete a 13-month STEM teaching certification course for children grades 1-12.
“Very little can be more impactful on a child’s life than having a great teacher, and with this federal investment Ithaca College will help ensure that New York State continues to have the best and brightest STEM educators in the nation,” said Senator Schumer. “This federal funding will boost STEM education across the Southern Tier and New York State, working to give students access to learning opportunities for skills that will make them competitive in both college and the workplace. I’m proud to announce this federal investment and will keep fighting to bring the Southern Tier the educational resources needed to prepare students for the jobs of the future.”
“A STEM education is critical to preparing our students to enter the workforce or to go to college. This federal funding will allow Ithaca College to invest in teachers and teaching programs that focus on STEM, expanding access to these fields for students throughout the Southern Tier and across New York State,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Investing in our teachers is one of the best ways to strengthen our schools, and I will always fight for the resources our students need to succeed.”
“Ithaca College’s first NSF Robert Noyce Teaching Program grant set out to recruit 18 highly-qualified science and mathematics teachers to teach in high-needs schools. We succeeded in recruiting 38 Noyce scholars, 34 who are still serving as highly effective teachers, and one who was recently recognized as a NYS Master Teacher. Our current grant intends to recruit 49 new science and mathematics teachers who we hope will go on to be educational leaders. The grant will also look at which of our practices have led to successful recruiting and how developing a culture of professional growth leads to our Noyce Scholars becoming and staying highly effective teachers,“ said Professor Michael “Bodhi” Rogers, Ph.D., lead architect of the NSF proposal and faculty member of the Ithaca College School of Humanities and Science, Department of Physics & Astronomy.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and other institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 48,000 competitive proposals for funding and makes about 12,000 new funding awards. NSF also awards about $626 million in professional and service contracts yearly.