The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is hoping to fill a shortage of science and mathematics teachers in Arkansas by offering up to $20,000 in scholarships to eligible juniors and seniors. 

Scholarships are available for UALR juniors and seniors who are enrolled in a science or math degree program and are interested in pursuing a related teaching license. The UALR Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program offers a $5,000 scholarship each semester of their junior and senior year, up to $20,000. Applications are being accepted for scholarships in the spring 2017 semester.

UALR, through a secondary education teacher preparation initiative, offers the scholarships thanks to a nearly $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation announced in 2015.

“STEM teachers are a high shortage area in the state of Arkansas,” said Gail Hughes, associate professor in the Educational Foundations Unit of the Department of Educational Leadership. “Those teachers are in high demand, and having excellent STEM teachers is important to preparing the next generation of STEM leaders in our state.”

The program has awarded 12 scholarships since 2015. Scholarship recipients develop their skills while engaging young people with STEM concepts and activities by teaching one STEM lesson at a high-needs school in Little Rock School District every other week.

“We have them teach in the schools to give them additional classroom experience,” Hughes said. “When they begin their internship semesters, they have more confidence, more practice, and have learned tips from another teacher in their specialty area.”   

Scholarship recipients also sign a contract to teach one year in a high-needs school in the United States for every semester the scholarship is received.

The UALR Noyce Scholars program is a collaboration of UALR, Henderson Middle School, UALR Children International, and the Museum of Discovery. It uses a multi-pronged approach to tackling the state’s shortage of science and mathematics teachers, particularly in high-need schools.

For more information and for details about how to apply, visit the website.