Preparing the Teachers Rural Classrooms Need Most
UNC Pembroke is launching a new program to help more students become licensed science and math teachers and serve in the classrooms where they are needed most.
The Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF) Brave Innovators of STEM Education program willrecruit undergraduate and transfer students pursuing science or mathematics education and provide the financial, academic and professional support needed to help them complete their degrees, earn licensure and begin their teaching careers.
The program comes at a time when school districts across southeastern North Carolina continue to face a shortage of qualified math and science teachers, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
Through its partnerships with local school systems, UNCP has seen how difficult it can be for districts to fill these roles and how important it is to prepare teachers who understand the region, its schools and its students.
“This program reflects our deep commitment to preparing future teachers for the communities that need them most,” said Dr. Tracy Mulvaney, dean of the School of Education. “Through the BWF Brave Innovators of STEM Education program, we are removing barriers for talented students while building a strong, sustainable pipeline of math and science teachers prepared to serve rural and underserved districts across southeastern North Carolina.”
For selected students, the program may cover tuition, fees, books, housing, meals and required course and laboratory materials.
That support is designed to ease some of the financial pressure that can make it harder for students to enter and complete teacher preparation programs, especially students who are first-generation, low-income or historically underrepresented in STEM fields.
In return, scholars will commit to teaching in the region the program was created to serve. For each year they receive the scholarship, students will teach one year in one of UNCP’s partner school districts, including Public Schools of Robeson County, Scotland County Schools, Whiteville City Schools, Sampson County Schools and Columbus County Schools.
The program also pairs financial support with the kind of guidance students often need to stay on track. Scholars will receive individualized advising, faculty mentoring and monthly professional development focused on licensure readiness, STEM content, instructional practice, wellness and leadership.
They will also take part in district visits, research opportunities, conference experiences and clinical placements that connect their coursework to real classrooms.
Professor Melissa Edwards said that local connection is one of the most important parts of the program.
“Students will build confidence through meaningful classroom experiences alongside experienced faculty,” Edwards said. “Through our partnerships with local school districts, they will learn and practice in the same communities they may one day serve. This is more than a scholarship. It is a pathway that supports future educators as they prepare to answer the call to teach.”
The support will continue as students move from college into the classroom. During their first year of teaching, the BWF Brave Innovators scholars will receive school-based mentoring, stipends and support through the UNCP New Teacher Support Program, which helps beginning teachers build confidence during one of the most important years of their careers.
Professor Hannah Clayton said that level of support can make a difference in who enters the field and who remains in it.
“By reducing financial barriers and offering targeted academic and professional support, this program not only attracts future teachers, but also helps them stay the course,” Clayton said. “For our region, where STEM teacher shortages are especially pronounced, that kind of support can make a real difference in preparing educators who are ready to enter local classrooms and remain there long term.”
For UNCP, the BWF Brave Innovators builds on a mission that has shaped the university since its founding: preparing educators to serve southeastern North Carolina.
The program is not only about filling vacancies. It is about preparing teachers who are connected to the region, supported through their training and ready to make a lasting difference in local schools.
For students selected for the program, the BWF Brave Innovators offers a clearer path into STEM teaching. For local districts, it offers a stronger pipeline of teachers who know the communities they will serve. And for the region, it is an investment in the classrooms where the next generation of scientists, engineers, health professionals and problem-solvers will first discover what is possible.