The IU Southeast School of Education recently received an additional $317,413 in funding for the Growing Tomorrow’s STEM Teachers (GTST) project from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. With the latest grant funding, IU Southeast has been the recipient of $1.2 million for the program since its inception in 2018.
The purpose of the GTST program is to enhance the recruitment, preparation, and education of highly qualified pre-service and in-service STEM teachers in Indiana school corporations, and to assist teachers who need to update their status to stay current with state requirements. The grant offers:
- Full coverage of one year’s tuition plus fees for IU Southeast undergraduate elementary education majors pursuing a mathematics or science area of concentration; or
- Full coverage of one year’s tuition plus fees for IU Southeast undergraduate middle and high school education majors in mathematics, earth science, or life science; or
- Support for 18 graduate hours of tuition plus fees for graduate secondary mathematics or science teachers going for credentials to teach dual credit courses; or
- Assistance covering 18 graduate hours of tuition plus fees for post-baccalaureate STEM candidates going for initial teacher licensure through IU Southeast’s “Transition to Teaching” program in science, mathematics, or technology.
The Indiana Commission for Higher Learning changed the requirements for teachers in 2015. Now teachers must have 18 master credit hours in their concentration to teach dual-credit courses. The grant enables teachers to meet these requirements without taking on a significant financial burden.
The grant also offers long-term mentoring for teachers to stay motivated and educated in teaching STEM subjects and allows them to choose from a variety of seminars and personal development workshops on STEM subjects.
“The Growing Tomorrow’s STEM Teachers Project is not just about creating teachers; it’s about nurturing mentors, innovators, and champions of STEM education,” said Dr. Alan Zollman, coordinator of the GTST program at IU Southeast. “Indiana University Southeast’s GTST Project is working tirelessly to ensure that the educators of tomorrow are equipped with the skills, passion, and dedication needed to shape the next generation of STEM leaders. Through this project, we are sowing the seeds of a brighter, more scientifically literate future for all.”
Over the course of the last six years with the support of the ICHE, this project has provided tuition assistance to more than 60 Indiana STEM educators in 26 high-needs area schools.
Every summer, the GTST Summer Teacher Institute offers complimentary professional growth opportunities in STEM subjects, technology, and teaching techniques, as well as addressing teachers’ emotional well-being, providing support, and nurturing their personal interests.
“The GTST Program gave me the freedom to become a teacher,” said Tasman Wrock, a post-baccalaureate GTST candidate who received her initial mathematics teaching license through the IU Southeast Transition to Teaching Program. “This program is SO much more than just the much-needed financial support. The GTST program allows teachers to unite, learn, and grow with each other. I have learned more from the GTST Institutes that I have been able to bring to my classroom than any other professional development opportunity I have had. The GTST Project has created a community that will lift each other to become better educators and I am forever grateful to be a part of that community.”
To find out more information about becoming involved with the GTST Project or inquiring about tuition assistance in becoming a teacher, please contact Dr. Sumreen Asim (sasim@iu.edu) or Dr. Alan Zollman (alanzoll@iu.edu), or visit the GTST Project webpage at https://southeast.iu.edu/education/gtst.php.