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ICHE awards $2.4 million to CELL for STEM teacher training

September 12, 2019 in CELLFeatures

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Thanks to a $2.4 million award from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (ICHE), the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) and the Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) are able to continue their successful STEM Teach initiative. This program aids high school teachers needing graduate-level courses in STEM discipline areas to meet the Higher Learning Commission requirement for teaching dual-credit courses by 2022. 

This new funding to support STEM Teach IV will also provide opportunities for K-12 teachers such as:

  • Regional STEM workshops offered by local colleges and universities to boost STEM instruction
  • Undergraduate courses offered through colleges and universities to assist teachers with enhancing STEM instruction and/or adding a STEM content area to their existing teaching licenses
  • Scholarships for teachers to attend STEM-based statewide conferences

The STEM Teach award was the largest of 16 awards that totaled $9.6 million granted by ICHE to organizations and colleges across the state through the Indiana STEM Teacher Recruitment Fund. The General Assembly created the fund in 2013 to increase the number and quality of teachers in key subject areas where many school districts experience shortages. This is the fourth time STEM Teach received the grant.

“CELL and ICI are proud to once again receive funding for STEM Teach. Our quality program will continue to serve Indiana teachers of STEM content areas by meeting ongoing needs,” said CELL Executive Director Janet Boyle. 

In-service teachers will begin applying for acceptance into the program through an online application in late October 2019. Teachers who successfully completed courses in STEM Teach III will not need to reapply for this opportunity. Registration for courses and workshops for teachers accepted into the program are available based on each teacher’s priority status and will occur several months before each semester begins.

About the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning

Created in 2001, the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) at the University of Indianapolis serves as a leading convener, catalyst and collaborator for dynamic, innovative education change to dramatically impact student achievement throughout Indiana. CELL’s efforts are rooted in the principle that all students, regardless of background, should graduate from high school prepared for postsecondary education, training, and success in the 21st-century global economy.

With primary funding from Lilly Endowment Inc., CELL has leveraged resources to unite schools, communities and businesses to make substantial, sustainable, statewide education change to improve academic success for Hoosier students and strengthen the quality of life and economic development in Indiana.

About STEM Teach IV

STEM Teach IV has been designed to offer ICI member and public institutions the opportunity to work together to increase the number of qualified dual-credit teachers of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in Indiana. Tuition, books, and materials for these courses will be offered at no cost to teachers employed at public schools, including charters, in Indiana by utilizing funds available through the STEM Teacher Recruitment Fund to pay colleges and universities for these expenses.