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Partners In STEM

A partnership between Âé¶¹´«Ã½ University, Springfield City Schools, Global Impact STEM Academy and Clark State College, the ASCENT-STEM program aims to produce 13 Secondary STEM Teachers (Math, Biology, Chemistry, Physics) over the next 5 years.

The program offers full scholarships for Junior and Senior students to attend Âé¶¹´«Ã½ University and finish AYA STEM teaching license coursework. The main goal of this program is to support and cultivate strong STEM teaching in the Springfield Community, recruiting and retaining high-quality STEM teachers for high-needs schools.

The ASCENT-STEM Program has two overarching activities, including launching a Learning Assistant (LA) Program at Âé¶¹´«Ã½ and partnering with the Great Smoky Mountain Institute at Tremont.

Âé¶¹´«Ã½ Students and Faculty

FIRE Week at GSMIT

Are you interested in STEM, teaching, and outdoor learning? The four-day Âé¶¹´«Ã½ FIRE week trip called Adolescent STEM and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park–Institute at Tremont could be the trip for you! In 2024, thirty-two Âé¶¹´«Ã½ students from a wide range of majors interacted with faculty learning how teachers from across the country implement experiential learning opportunities outside with students.

ASCENT-STEM Teacher Scholarship and Stipend Program

The National Science Foundation’s Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program aims to recruit, prepare, and retain highly effective secondary math and science teachers for high-needs schools through the ASCENT-STEM program. The program offers junior and senior undergraduate students pursuing Adolescent Young Adult Licensures in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, or Physics $20,000+ scholarships annually and $10,000 stipends during your first-year teaching as funding permits.

Âé¶¹´«Ã½ Students and Professor

P.I. Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts

  • Daiga, M. and Hessick, M., "Attributes and Knowledge of the Lead Organizer in Planning a Virtual Teacher Professional Development Series: The Case of the Organizer of the Schoolyard Network (paper)" Educ. Sci. (2025) Vol. 15, No. 4, pg. 422.     
  • Daiga, M., "Teacher Development through Outdoor Experiential Learning in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (presentation), Convention for the School Science and Mathematics Association (2024) Knoxville, TN.
  • Daiga, M. and Parker, A. E., "Implementation of a LA Program at a Small Liberal Arts College (poster)" International Learning Assistant Conference (2024) Boulder, Colorado.

 

Student Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts

  • Tom, C., Aloi, P., and Hibbits, A., "Influences in Student Participation in F.I.R.E. week (presentation)" Connections Symposium, (2025) Âé¶¹´«Ã½ University, Springfield, OH.
  • Paumi, J., Boyles, R., and Daiga, M., "Learning Assistant Perspectives: The Case of the First Learning Assistant Teaching Team (poster)" Connections Symposium, (2025) Âé¶¹´«Ã½ University, Springfield, OH.
  • Hessick, M. and Daiga, M., "Investigating the Leadership of a Sustained Outdoor Education Professional Development Program (presentation)" Convention for the School Science and Mathematics Association (2024) Knoxville, TN.

 

 


 

Our Partners

 National Science Foundation Logo 
Âé¶¹´«Ã½ LogoGlobal Impact STEM LogoGreat Smoky Mountains Institute STEM Logo
 Springfield City Schools Logo 

 

 

 

 

 

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