In Pursuit of Sustainable STEM Certification Programs

Summary

The belief that STEM (science,technology, engineering, and mathematics) education initiatives have the potential to stimulate both regional and national economies has prompted policy makers and funding agencies to revisit how STEM teachers are recruited, prepared, and retained. This article investigates the impact of a unique pre-scholarship internship available to freshman and sophomore science majors who are exploring the possibility of becoming secondary STEM teachers. On the basis of positive results with a limited number of students, recommendations are made on how a university-based certification program can better accommodate STEM undergraduates who want to explore teaching as a career possibility.