Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Over $1 Million For CUNY College Of Staten Island To Strengthen Career Pathways For Math & Science Teachers; Fed Funding Will Expand Stem Teacher[...]

Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Over $1 Million For CUNY College Of Staten Island To Strengthen Career Pathways For Math & Science Teachers; Fed Funding Will Expand Stem Teacher Recruitment, Provide Professional Development & Sponsor Students Pursuing Stem Degrees

Apr 16, 2024

A Shortage Of STEM Teachers In City Schools Has Been Exacerbated By Covid-19; College Of Staten Island (CSI) Will Address The Problem With Fed Funds

CSI Aims To Increase Number Of Well-Equipped STEM Teachers In High-Need Middle Schools & High Schools Within NYC Public School System

Today U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced a National Science Foundation (NSF) award of $1,012,325 for CUNY College of Staten Island's project "Strengthening the Mathematics and Science Teacher Pathways in the Post-Pandemic Environment." The award will be used to address the national need for high-quality STEM teachers in urban high-need school districts, which is a challenge that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The goals of the project include expanding recruitment, refining enrichment activities for prospective teachers, and building a teacher induction program for newly graduated teachers.

"We have a shortage of STEM teachers made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic and this well-earned $1 million-plus from the National Science Foundation-that I fought hard to fund-will energize the College of Staten Island's excellent program to expand recruitment and training for prospective math and science teachers to educate the next generation of students in these vital fields," said Senator Schumer. "The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the need for more educators, especially in math and science, in our New York City public schools. These federal funds will help tackle this need by attracting STEM majors to pursue teaching careers, bolstering professional development, and funding students to complete STEM degrees and teaching certifications. I'll always fight to ensure that the next generation of students and teachers have the tools they need to succeed in STEM and beyond."

"As interest in STEM education continues to grow across the country, we must work to meet the demand for STEM educators in this growing discipline," said Senator Gillibrand. "This $1 million plus for the College of Staten Island will work to attract, train, and keep talented STEM majors within the teaching profession, an important step to recruit more STEM teachers for high-need schools within the New York City public school system. I am proud to announce this funding and I will continue to fight to deliver resources for STEM education."

This project at the College of Staten Island will strengthen the mathematics and science teacher pathways by attracting, training, and keeping talented STEM majors within the teaching profession, especially for high-need school districts. It will also expand partnerships to attract STEM majors and provide streamlined professional development opportunities during both their teacher preparation program and the first year of teaching. Additionally, this project will fund 30 high-achieving undergraduate students to complete a Bachelor of Science in biology, chemistry, earth sciences, mathematics, or physics and obtain a New York State initial teaching certification.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) supports research, innovation, and discovery that provides the foundation for economic growth in this country. By advancing the frontiers of science and engineering, our nation can develop the knowledge and cutting-edge technologies needed to address the challenges we face today and will face in the future.