University of Indianapolis Noyce Scholarship Program

University Of Indianapolis, Indianapolis IN

Investigators

Abstract

With the support of a Capacity Building Grant, the University of Indianapolis is developing the infrastructure to support a Noyce Scholarship Program. Building on the success of its Woodrow Wilson Indiana Teaching Fellowship Program, which attracts recent graduates and career changers into urban science and mathematics teaching, the university seeks to increase the number of undergraduate chemistry majors entering teaching by 300% and undergraduate biology majors entering teaching by 100%. The project goals include graduating 8-10 Noyce Scholars per year who are prepared to teach science in grades 7-12. Specifically, the University of Indianapolis' College of Arts and Sciences and School of Education are developing the Noyce Scholarship Program in collaboration with Christel House Academy, Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township, Metropolitan School District of Perry Township, and Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township, all of which are qualified as high-need, in the state of Indiana. The project planning team, comprised of a diverse group of stakeholders, is creating a science teaching curriculum that is content-rich, requires Noyce Scholars to spend substantial time in partner schools, and includes mentoring support in the first three years of urban or rural high-need teaching. The team is also creating strategies for recruiting high-ability students into science teaching, particularly those from underrepresented groups; working with University of Indianapolis advisors to recruit non-continuing pre-health students into science teaching; developing new partnerships with corporations and not-for-profit organizations to offer paid summer internships to Noyce Scholars; and devising institutional processes for scholarship selection, disbursement and compliance.