BETHLEHEM, PA, March 8, 2023: Today, Moravian University announced it has been awarded a $1.2 million grant through the National Science Foundation’s Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program supports talented science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate majors and professionals to become effective K-12 STEM teachers in high-need school districts. 

Moravian University’s program – SHaping Innovative New Educators in STEM (SHINES) – will involve two partnering school districts, Allentown School District and Bethlehem Area School District, to increase the number of well-qualified, culturally responsive STEM teachers, committed to teaching in high-need schools and districts.

“This grant from the NSF, which allows Moravian to partner with Allentown and Bethlehem school districts, will have a significant impact on our students and the community,” said Bryon Grigsby, president of Moravian University. “The career preparation and professional development that this grant will provide for our students is truly transformative.”

A team of Moravian University faculty members including the Principal Investigator (PI) Nathan Shank (Mathematics), along with Co-PI’s Michelle Schmidt (Psychology), Tristan Gleason (Education), and Andrea Bortz (Biology), will oversee the SHINES program.

The NSF SHINES Program will prepare 28 scholars over the five-year grant period as excellent and equitable STEM educators who are well-qualified to teach biology, general science, computer science, and mathematics in high-need schools. The SHINES Program goals are: to increase the number of highly qualified and diverse STEM teachers/educators enrolled in Moravian University’s education certification programs; and to prepare STEM teachers by using and strengthening Moravian’s existing education certification and STEM major structure with unique hands-on experiences and high-impact practices that provide scholars with the skills to become culturally responsive and highly effective long-term educators in high-need school districts.

The SHINES Program will recruit first- and second-year Moravian students, community college transfer students, and post-baccalaureate STEM professionals, with emphasis on underrepresented students, including minority, women, first-generation college, military-connected, and lower-income students. Scholars will receive scholarships or stipends and a suite of student supports, including a professional learning community, leadership and professional skills development, and clinical teaching experience.

Media contact:

Moravian University
Michael Corr
Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Communications
corrm@moravian.edu
610.861.1365

About Moravian University
Moravian University is the nation’s sixth-oldest university, located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and offers undergraduate and graduate degrees that blend liberal arts with professional programs. For more than 275 years, the Moravian University degree has been preparing students for reflective lives, fulfilling careers, and transformative leadership in a world of change. Moravian University is a member of The New American Colleges and Universities (NAC&U), a national consortium of selective, small to mid-size independent colleges and universities dedicated to the purposeful integration of liberal education, professional studies, and civic engagement. Visit moravian.edu to learn more about how the Moravian University focus on education for all prepares its students for life-long success.


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