“RI Tech and Innovation Report” - The Brain Drain Problem and More

“RI Tech and Innovation Report” - The Brain Drain Problem and More

It’s been well talked about that one of the state’s biggest hurdles in building a 21st-century workforce is our so-called “brain drain” problem.

With world-class education available throughout the state in programs spanning nearly every discipline, it’s no wonder we attract top talent to study here. The bad news? They often leave after graduation for greener professional pastures.

Thankfully, there are higher education programs and professionals dedicated to ensuring the talent we educate here wants to and is able to begin their careers here.

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At The University of Rhode Island, the National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program helping to shape future STEM teachers. The school was just awarded a $1.2 million scholarship for the program, the second time it has received a program award in the last six years.

URI Associate Dean of the Alan Shawn Feinstein College of Education and Professional Studies Anne Seitsinger called its “Supporting Future Science and Mathematics Teachers to Become Culturally Competent Educators” program—available to any URI student double majoring in education and either science or mathematics—“instrumental” in attracting students whose primary interest is in a STEM field to a future in teaching in one of those disciplines.

“We were awarded this second….scholarship based on the intellectual merit and broader impact our projects have,” Seitsinger told GoLocalProv. “URI’s Noyce Scholars…will be well positioned to assume leadership roles in their schools and districts. Their students, many of whom are from traditionally underrepresented groups, will learn the knowledge and practices in STEM disciplines, including inquiry, problem-solving and computational thinking.”

The Noyce Scholarship scholarship—which will be awarded to 20 URI juniors and seniors— operates as a loan forgives program. Scholars commit to teaching in a high-need school district for two years for each year they received financial support after they earn their degree.

High-need districts are those with a high percentage of students living below the poverty line, a high percentage of teachers teaching in an area in which they were not trained to teach, and/or a high teacher turnover rate.

Out of the first cohort—from a $1.4 million award given in 2013—13 URI Noyce Scholars are teaching elementary, middle and high school students in Rhode Island. Four other scholars are teaching out of state, meaning that the vast majority of program graduates stayed in state.

Scholars also receive three years of mentoring from URI faculty. For this scholar cohort, URI increased scholarships from $10,000 to $15,000. While this means fewer students will be awarded scholarships than from the 2013 award, Seitsinger said the school wanted to address the “rising cost of attending college.”

Additional students will benefit from paid summer internships available to freshmen and sophomores wanting to work with children and youth in informal science and math settings.

“Lessons learned from this project will enhance the knowledge-based regarding (among other things) factors influencing STEM majors and STEM majors and STEM professionals coming into K-12 education,” Seitsinger said. “These scholarships have increased the number and diversity of beginning STEM teachers prepared to teach and accepting teaching positions in high-need school districts.”

 

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