The Science and Technology Action Committee (STAC), a nonpartisan alliance of nonprofit, academic, foundation and business leaders advocating for greater focus on and funding of science and technology, issued the following statement on the NSF STEM Teacher Corps Pilot Program.
Improving K-12 STEM education is a critical task for our nation. The National Science Foundation (NSF)’s recent announcement that it will launch a National STEM Teacher Corps Pilot Program marks a key step toward reversing the trend of falling K-12 test scores in math and science that have plagued the U.S. for far too long. It also complements the large-scale investment that the federal government made with the CHIPS Act.
Inspired by the late Jim Simons’ Math for America initiative, the program will recognize our nation’s inspirational STEM teachers and help create rewarding career paths to which all STEM teachers can aspire. Established in response to the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, it will help train and support the educators we urgently need to help ensure the U.S. remains globally competitive in science and technology.
The program will provide up to $35 million over five years to support 8-10 regional alliances to strengthen and elevate the STEM educator profession, ultimately helping the U.S. develop a diverse, domestic workforce that will advance U.S. innovation and bolster economic and national security for decades to come. Doing so will ensure that future scientific discoveries and technological breakthroughs continue to happen here in the U.S.