Competition opens for 2010 Woodrow Wilson Indiana Teaching Fellowships
Program gives top candidates $30K, master's-level preparation to teach math, science, technology in high-need schools
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation has opened its competition for the 2010 Woodrow Wilson Indiana Teaching Fellowships. Applications for the Fellowships are now available online at the Foundation’s Web site, http://www.woodrow.org/indiana.
In the 2010 competition, 80 Fellowships will be awarded to top candidates - recent college graduates and career-changers - with backgrounds in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (the STEM fields) and strong records of achievement.
Each Fellow receives a $30,000 stipend to complete a master's program at one of four selected Indiana universities - Ball State University, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Purdue University, and the University of Indianapolis. Fellows then teach for at least three years in a high-need urban or rural school that has committed, along with the partner university, to provide ongoing mentoring.
The deadline for early decision applications is October 12, 2009, with notification of awards set for December 21, 2009. Additional applications will be accepted through January 12, 2010, with Fellows notified in early April 2010.
The Woodrow Wilson Foundation selected Indiana in December 2007 as the first site for its new national fellowship for high school teachers. The program is intended to help overhaul teacher education and encourage exceptionally able teacher candidates to seek long-term careers teaching science, technology, and math (the STEM fields) in high-need classrooms. The first class of Fellows was announced in May 2009, and its 59 members have now begun work on their master's degrees.
"This is a very bold step by the State of Indiana which promises to have enormous impact on the number of math and science teachers in schools where the need is so high," said Arthur Levine, the president of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, who led a multiyear study on needed improvements in teacher education.
The program is supported through a grant of more than $10.1 million from the Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment, recently augmented with additional state funds.
"Indiana's students are not learning nearly enough math and science to succeed in this world," said Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. "They need to be taught by people with true mastery of the subject matter, and in the Woodrow Wilson Fellows our kids will have America's best math and science teachers."
Applications are available online only. For additional background and application instructions, visit http://www.woodrow.org/indiana. Fellowship inquiries may be directed to wwteachingfellowships@woodrow.org or 609-452-7007 x141.
Note: Potential applicants should call 609-452-7007 x141 or email wwteachingfellowships@woodrow.org
CONTACT: Beverly Sanford, VP for Communications, sanford@woodrow.org, (609) 452-7007 x181 (press only)
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
Note to Journalists: This release is being sent by Purdue University on behalf of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation.