Stephen F. Austin State University has received $1.8 million in funding from the Greater Texas Foundation, the T.L.L. Temple Foundation and the James I. Perkins Family Foundation to support the JacksTeach STEM teacher preparation initiative in the College of Sciences and Mathematics.
JacksTeach is a replication site of the UTeach Institute, a nationally recognized STEM teacher preparation program. Students in the program earn a four-year bachelor’s degree and a secondary teaching certification without adding any additional semesters of coursework.
Immersing students in a curriculum geared toward STEM education and connecting them with master teachers, JacksTeach ensures students graduate prepared for a variety of career options, including teaching, business, industry or continued study.
“This targeted approach to STEM secondary-teacher preparation is a positive step toward alleviating the severe shortage of qualified secondary STEM teachers throughout the primarily rural East Texas region and across the state,” said Dr. Kimberly M. Childs, dean of the College of Sciences and Mathematics.
The first two JacksTeach courses provide an opportunity for students to explore STEM teaching as a career option. Tuition rebates are issued upon successful completion of the courses with additional scholarships and internships possible for those who continue to progress toward certification.
“Our focus is on the support of JacksTeach students as they navigate through their own education to a career in teaching,” said Dr. Lesa Beverly, co-director of JacksTeach and professor and chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. “We will provide mentoring and encourage a strong sense of community among the JacksTeach students while they are at SFA and after they enter their own classrooms.”
For more information, call (936) 468-3960, email jacksteach@sfasu.edu or visit the JacksTeach Center in the Bush Mathematical Sciences Building, Room 103.
By Joanna Armstrong, marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.
