For press information, contact Dr. Celia Anderson, 901-678-5759

The University of Memphis is accepting applications for the Noyce Teaching Fellowship to recruit and prepare a second cohort of secondary math and science teachers for Memphis City Schools (MCS). The College of Education received the $1.5 million Noyce grant from the National Science Foundation last year. The award was funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

The goal of the program is to recruit professionals with a bachelor’s degree in math or science who might not have considered teaching as a career. Fourteen fellows will have their tuition paid to complete the 30-hour master of arts in teaching degree with licensure in secondary education. Recipients must agree to teach for a minimum of four years in Memphis City Schools.

MCS will fund a part-time residency program to provide mentoring and classroom experiences while the fellows complete the degree, which will take a full academic year plus two summers. The aspiring teachers will also have the opportunity to participate in enrichment opportunities, curriculum development, Saturday children’s camps and professional development workshops.

Fellows also receive a salary supplement of $10,000 for each of the first four years of their full-time teaching assignment. They will complete about 160 hours of professional development during these four years, including leadership training during the third and fourth years.

In 2009, the University of Memphis, along with 170 other universities, pledged to the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities to increase its graduation of math and science teachers. Receipt of the ARRA grant supports this pledge and helps to address Memphis City Schools’ need for highly qualified secondary math and science teachers. The Volkswagen Group of America provided matching funds through a gift to the University of Memphis to support Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. The U of M and MCS provided additional matching funds to support the six-year project.

For more information, or to obtain an application, contact Dr. Celia Anderson at croussea@memphis.edu or visit www.memphis.edu/icl/noyce-grant.php. The deadline to submit applications is March 31.