Culturally Sustaining STEM Teacher Program
There is a need for highly effective K-12 STEM teachers equipped to teach diverse populations of students. In order to improve educational outcomes for K-12 students who have been historically marginalized and disenfranchised by education, teachers must be equipped to deliver high quality STEM content in culturally sustaining ways. The PLU Culturally Sustaining STEM (CS-STEM) Program is designed to prepare STEM teachers committed to teaching for equity and justice.Contact
- cs-stem@plu.edu
- Ksenija Simic-Muller (simicmka@plu.edu)
Associate Professor of Mathematics
Additional Titles/Roles
Coordinator of Peace Scholars Program
Education
- Ph.D., Mathematics, Carnegie Mellon University, 2004
- M.S., Mathematics, Carnegie Mellon University, 2000
- Undergraduate, Theoretical Mathematics, University of Belgrade, 1997
Areas of Emphasis or Expertise
- Logic
- Mathematics Education
- Math and Social Justice
by Mathew D. D. Felton‐Koestler, Ksenija Simic‐Muller, José María Menéndez
Publisher : Information Age Publishing (February 1, 2017)
Paperback : 138 pages
- Wendy Gardiner (gardinwl@plu.edu), Jolita Hylland Benson Endowed Chair in Elementary Education
- Andrea Munro (munroam@plu.edu), associate professor of chemistry
Are You Interested in Becoming a CS-STEM Teacher?
- Do you want to teach a STEM field in a middle or high school in a high-need school district?
- Are you committed to addressing education inequities?
- Are you a STEM major or have a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field?
- Do you want to be part of a cohort learning to teach in culturally sustaining ways?
- Do you want mentorship during your education program and for the first two years when you begin teaching?
- Do you want to learn more about our scholarships for up to $21,700?
Information Sessions: Thursday, November 18, 5:00pm via Zoom
Scholarships are available through the CS-STEM Program
Funded through the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program (Award ID 195016), these scholarships award eligible students with up to $21,700/year. Scholarships are awarded to eligible STEM majors during their final year as undergraduates at PLU and to graduate students in the PLU Masters in Education program earning certification to be a STEM teacher.
APPLY (application starts on December)
CS-STEM Teacher Candidate
STEM majors in their final year of their undergraduate program or individuals who have already earned a bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline are who are interested in pursuing a teaching career in middle school or high school are encouraged to apply to be a CS-STEM Teacher Candidate.
CS-STEM Teacher Candidates are provided with:
- Placement in classrooms with expert STEM teachers during their time in the PLU Masters in Education (MAE) program
- Support in developing their abilities to teach in culturally sustaining ways through monthly CS-STEM Equity Seminars
- Induction support for their first two years of teaching after graduation
- A stipend of up to $21,700 for the PLU MAE program
CS-STEM Teacher Candidates are committed to:
- Teaching science or mathematics in a middle school or high school in a high-need school district for 2 years after completion of the Masters program
- Addressing education inequities
- Learning to teach in culturally sustaining ways
- Being a member of a cohort
To Apply:
Submit a completed application to study in the PLU MAE program and complete the CS-STEM Teacher Candidate Application using the link below. The CS-STEM Teacher Candidate Application is due by March 7, 2022.
Candidates will have an interview. Those selected as CS-STEM Teacher Candidates will sign an MOU/contract.
Eligibility
Applicants must have earned an Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM field and earn a Master’s Degree through the PLU MAE program with a science or mathematics endorsement. Applicants must be US citizens or nationals, or permanent residents. Consideration will be given to financial need and to candidates from backgrounds underrepresented in teaching.
FAQ
2. What is the difference between a CS-STEM Scholar and a CS-STEM Teacher Candidate?
Answer: The differences is whether the student begins the CS-STEM program as an undergraduate STEM major or as a graduate student in the PLU Master of Arts in Education (MAE) program.
CS-STEM Scholars apply to the program in their junior year at PLU and receive 2 years of financial support through the program. They are CS-STEM Scholars during their senior year at PLU and then continue to the PLU MAE program to earn teaching certification.
CS-STEM Teacher Candidates apply to the CS-STEM program when they apply to the PLU MAE program and receive 1 year of financial support.
5. When and how do I apply?
Application Steps for CS-STEM Teacher Candidates
- Apply to the PLU MAE program.
- Submit a brief essay as part of the CS-STEM Teacher Candidate application form by March 7, 2022.
- More information can be found on the CS-STEM Teacher Candidate page.
8. What are the expectations or obligations for CS-STEM Scholars and CS-STEM Teacher Candidates?
CS-STEM Teacher Candidates are required to:
- Have earned a Bachelors Degree in a STEM field
- Participate in Equity Seminars while in the MAE program school (Monthly Equity Seminar)
- Earn a Masters Degree through the PLU MAE program with a science or math endorsement
- Teach science or mathematics for 2 years in middle school or high school in a high need school district
- Participate in a CS-STEM Induction program during their first year of teaching semester
Funding for CS-STEM Program
The Culturally Sustaining – STEM Teaching Program is funded by the National Science Foundation’s Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. Faculty at PLU obtained funding to support scholarships for teacher candidates and for mentoring support and for the development of an induction program.
This work was initiated when Drs. Simic Muller, Gardiner, and Seidel were awarded a Capacity Building Noyce Grant (Award Number 1758506), titled, “Building Capacity to Prepare STEM Majors to Become STEM Educators”. That program allowed for the development of a service learning course for Natural Science majors who are interested in developing and teaching science and mathematics curriculum in K-8 classrooms. The course is NSCI 350: STEM Education Partnership.
The current work is supported by a 5 year NSF grant (Award Number 1950106) that will support 21 students who enter the program as undergraduate or as graduate students. A central component of the projects is the Noyce scholarships that will provide undergraduate and graduate students from historically underrepresented populations with greater access to K-12 teaching careers. Other objectives of the project are to:
- Develop CS-STEM scholars’ and teacher candidates’ content knowledge and cultural competency for teaching and working with ethnically and linguistically diverse students
- Establish a research-based induction program from CS-STEM teachers that centers on equity-oriented ambitious STEM instruction
- Continuously improve collaboration with partner school districts
$1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation.
The grant, which provides funding over the next three years, will help extend existing collaborations between the university’s Division of Natural Sciences, Education Department and partner districts Clover Park and Franklin Pierce to improve K-12 STEM teacher preparation and induction
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