- Year 2019
- NSF Award #1659058
- Registration Current Noyce Scholar
- First Name Amanda
- Last Name Shultz
- Discipline Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Geosciences, Math, Physics
- Institution University of Nebraska at Omaha
Abstract
The implementation of Nebraska Science Technology Engineering Mathematics 4U (NE STEM 4U) in 2013 and the Nebraska NOYCE Science Program in 2017 at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) have worked congruently in preparation of undergraduates to teach, meanwhile providing STEM education to students within a high-needs school district. Since its establishment in Omaha, NE STEM 4U has expanded to school districts in Lincoln and Kearney, with the University of Nebraska at Lincoln (UNL) and the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) coordinating them respectively. Part of the NE STEM 4U goal is to prepare future generations of educators via providing its undergraduate mentors with tools and professional development opportunities to implement hands-on experiences to youth within the classroom. Undergraduate mentors of the program visit their designated school(s) twice a week to collaboratively teach and execute experiments pertaining to a STEM topic with students. In addition to mentoring, undergraduates partake in monthly STEMinars, which discuss a plethora of professional development concepts. NE STEM 4U has graduated 117 undergraduates with a 96% retention rate, as opposed to the overall national average for public schools at 81% (according to National Center for Science Statistics). Of the 96% of retained students from NE STEM 4U, 97% retained a STEM discipline. Moreover, 100% of these undergraduate mentors walked into the job that they wanted. Additionally, over 75,000 K-8 students have been a part of NE STEM 4U. NE STEM 4U continues to look to develop a franchisable model to maintain growth and expand outside of Nebraska, positively impacting more students of the undergraduate and K-8 levels.
