ODU GEMS (Growing Educators of Mathematics and Science) Program Summary
Old Dominion University (ODU) GEMS Program: Implementing Noyce Teacher Education Support (Noyce Track 1 S&S Phase 1) – ODU; Partner schools: Chesapeake Public Schools, Norfolk Public School, Virginia Beach Public Schools; Partner community college: Thomas Nelson Community College
The GEMS program seeks to grow educators of mathematics and science from across the Hampton Roads region to return as highly qualified secondary STEM educators in high-needs schools in the Hampton Roads region. This program will complement the MonarchTeach program to recruit, prepare, and return teachers to their local communities. Through the GEMS program, high school, community college, transfer and ODU students will be recruited with the intent to attend ODU as GEMS participants. As GEMS participants, students will be provided opportunities to engage with local schools, build relationships with school partners, learn best-practices for teaching in an urban and/or high-needs environment, and return to teach in the school partner division. This will help fill critical shortage areas designated by the Virginia Department of Education.
The over-arching goal of GEMS is to recruit GEMS scholars from the local area, train them to be highly qualified and effective STEM educators and return them to their local community to serve as STEM educators. We refer to this goal as “Growing our own teachers”.
Intellectual Merit:
Implementation of the GEMS program will yield a self-perpetuating cycle of growing educators of mathematics and science. As students become GEMS alumni and return to the partnership districts to teach, students at partnership schools will have the opportunity to interact with and grow from the GEMS alumni, which will serve as a recruitment opportunity for continual perpetuation of GEMS program applicants. Additionally, the GEMS program will support students to be better prepared and motivated to teach in an urban and/or high-needs setting. Focused service opportunities will help GEMS sprouts (Years 1 & 2) and scholars (Years 3 & 4) feel connected to partnership districts while providing opportunities to form relationships and collaboration opportunities with practicing teachers. The GEMS program also has the potential to address research questions such as: “What are best practices for recruiting and retaining a diverse student population into STEM teacher preparation programs?” and “What are best practices for identifying specific needs for new and experienced STEM practitioners in urban and/or high-needs schools?” In answering such research questions and in disseminating the findings to various levels of professional teacher preparation settings, we will add to the body of knowledge in this area.
Broader Impacts:
The GEMS program will not only generate effective, knowledgeable, and highly qualified teachers, but it will also impact dozens of teachers in the field, hundreds of future community college and university students who had not considered teaching an option in their STEM discipline major, and thousands of students and parents in urban and high-needs schools and communities. Providing scholarships will relieve financial burdens of pursuing higher education, potentially enabling more students to attend and pursue teaching careers by broadening the participation of under-represented, first-generation, and financially needy groups. Additionally, the GEMS program will continue to support GEMS alumni to help them begin their teaching careers successfully. Because of their early experiences working in urban school settings, graduates of the GEMS program stand to make a significant impact in the STEM education of under-represented populations’ presence in the STEM workforce.
Our Partners:
The following school divisions have currently partnered with the ODU GEMS program: