Partnering to Prepare STEM Master Teachers for Michigan's Middle Schools
Michigan Master Teachers Program
NSF Award #2345094
Michigan Technological University (MTU) and Northern Michigan University (NMU) are partnering to prepare middle school science teachers to become leaders in STEM education.
Through this collaboration, the project will recruit, train, and retain high-quality STEM teacher leaders who can serve as effective mentors and address a systemic shortage of science teachers.
The Master Teachers Program (MTP) supports 30 STEM teachers in leading efforts to improve science education in grades 5-9 in diverse, high-need schools throughout Michigan. 20 teachers have entered the program as master's degree holders, and 10 teachers will earn a Master's in Educational Instruction Pedagogy, jointly developed and administered by MTU and NMU. The degree is offered entirely online, making it accessible to teachers throughout Michigan.
The Program Goals for the participating master teacher fellows are to increase:
- knowledge of participatory action research, student-centered pedagogy, and facilitation
- capacity to make evidence-based improvements to instruction within their classroom
- capacity to lead an effective professional learning community in order to enable ongoing educational improvements
MTP School District and Nonprofit Partners include:
Copper Country Intermediate School District, Kalamazoo Public Schools, Kentwood Public Schools, Marquette-Alger Regional Education Service Agency, Menominee County Intermediate School District, Midland Public Schools, Upper Peninsula Center for Educational Development, Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative, Michigan Earth Science Teachers Association, Michigan Science Teachers Association, and the MiSTEM Network.
