Marian University Receives $1.1M STEM Grant

(photo courtesy of Marian University)

The Fred S. Klipsch Educators College and the College of Arts and Sciences at Marian University are collaborating on a $1.1 million Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship grant from the National Science Foundation. The university says the grant will support a new initiative in central Indiana that provides scholarships aimed to increase the number of undergraduate students pursuing STEM teaching and prepare them to be secondary educators in high-need schools over the next five years.

The grant is called Improving Secondary STEM Teacher Preparation for High-need Schools Through Diverse Teaching Experiences, Including Simulated Virtual Reality Classrooms.

“This scholarship will expand our reach to current students and help diversify the teacher population in high-need schools,” says Dr. LaTonya Turner, dean of Klipsch Educators College. “It is especially critical to recruit and train secondary STEM teachers into highly-skilled, proficient educators, using the best rubrics taught by the most highly-qualified education faculty in the state.”

Marian University says it will partner with three school corporations, Decatur Township Schools, Indianapolis Public Schools and Perry Township Schools, for the initiative. 

The initiative includes a scholarship and stipend program, professional development and preparation, and support for new teachers.

The university says the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship will provide scholarships to 22 juniors or seniors valued at $15,000 per year.

“The first year of teaching presents challenges that can be difficult to navigate without a comprehensive support system,” Dr. Matt Hollowell, assistant professor of Education. “The Noyce grant will allow Marian faculty to continue to collaborate with our STEM alumni so that they receive the ongoing professional support they need to be highly-effective STEM educators.”

The initiative is set to begin in the fall.