OxyMS Teaching Scholars

Occidental College, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

The goal of the OxyMS Teaching Scholars project is to increase the number of highly qualified math and science teachers in high-need urban high schools through recruitment and retention of fifth-year students and/or STEM professionals committed to teaching. In order to serve the local community urban high schools, recruitment emphasizes areas/places with high proportions of underrepresented groups including community colleges and minority engineering professional associations. The project is recruiting and retaining 40 Occidental fifth-year students and/or STEM professionals to complete their teaching credential for grades 7 -12. This Phase I proposal is a collaboration between Occidental's Education, Mathematics, and Chemistry departments, and three community urban high schools - Franklin, Lincoln, and Eagle Rock High School (Los Angeles Unified School District). Faculty are coordinating/facilitating a monthly mentoring group for the Teaching Scholars and other math and science undergraduates who might be interested in teaching (recruiting purposes). Occidental faculty and the Center for Community-Based Learning (CCBL) are collaborating with Franklin, Lincoln, and Eagle Rock High Schools to provide bi-annual (fall and spring) seminars for the math and science teachers (including the student teaching master teachers) to create a professional network to support the OxyMS Teaching Scholars.