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NebraskaSTEM

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NebraskaSTEM

Become a Noyce Master Teaching Fellow!

Increase student interest and success in STEM by enhancing your knowledge of integrated STEM teaching and learning. Apply for NebraskaSTEM—a new, five-year elementary STEM degree and professional development program for teachers, funded by the National Science Foundation.* 

You’ll earn a Master’s in rural STEM education (completed in the first year), engage in STEM leadership activities, and join a nationwide community of Noyce Master Teaching Fellows. During this five-year fellowship, you’ll also participate in annual surveys and interviews as part of the grant evaluation. These will take place at a time and location of your choosing and will pose no risk to you. Your principal will be invited to participate in the evaluation study as well. 

Meet Our Current Fellows!


Eligibility for NebraskaSTEM

To be eligible for the program, you must be a current elementary teacher in a rural Nebraska, high-needs school, who is passionate about innovative STEM education and teacher leadership. Your school will be considered high-needs if the percentage of students receiving free/reduced lunch has been at or above the state average within the last three years. Visit the NDE Education Profiles website to find out. If you are unsure about your eligibility, please contact NebraskaSTEM@unl.edu.



*NebraskaSTEM: Supporting Elementary Rural Teacher Leadership project has been established by the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education thanks to the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Track 3 grant awarded by the National Science Foundation. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1758496.

Program Curriculum

Summer 2018

  • Mathematics content for elementary teachers
  • Science content for elementary teachers
  • Integrating STEM Learning Model
  • Inquiry into Teaching and Learning (online)
Fall 2018
  • Culture and Schooling: Rural Education
Spring 2018
  • Master’s Thesis (collect and analyze data for a research project)
Summer 2019
  • Computer Science content for elementary teachers
  • Engineering content for elementary teachers
  • Technology for Teaching STEM
  • Master’s Thesis (finalize and present research paper)

5-Year Fellowship

YEAR 1

  • Earn a Master’s degree focused on rural STEM education
  • Take classes on UNL campus for 3 weeks in Summer 2018 and Summer 2019, and online classes during the school year
  • Receive a stipend for full tuition and fees plus living/travel expenses for summer coursework (up to $18,500)

YEARS 2–5

  • Take part in teacher leadership professional development
  • Join an online community of NebraskaSTEM fellows
  • Develop and implement a STEM Initiative for your own school
  • Attend and present at STEM professional conferences
  • Become an elementary STEM leader and mentor
  • Join a nationwide community of Noyce Master Teaching Fellows
  • $10,500 annual stipend (in addition to teacher salary)

Application Requirements

  • Letter of support from building principal
  • 2 additional letters of recommendation
  • Resume/CV
  • College transcripts
  • Admission Essay (should include evidence of demonstrated success in improving student achievement in mathematics and/or science)
  • Praxis I/Praxis Core/GRE scores dated 2008 or later. If you do not have scores, you must take the GRE or Praxis II Subject Assessments: Mathematics subtest (#5003) and Science subtest (#5005). Tests can be scheduled through ets.org and must be taken no later than April 15 to ensure scores are received before the May 1 deadline.

Important Deadlines

  • April 15: Take GRE or Praxis (unless you have scores since 2008)
  • May 1: Submit Application
  • May 15: Notification of Acceptance
  • June 11: Summer Classes Begins

To begin your application, first apply through Graduate Studies to the M.A. program in Teaching, Learning & Teacher Education (do not indicate a specialization). After completing this step, you will receive an email guiding you through the Games system for the rest of the application. Within this system, you will have the option to select NebraskaSTEM as your area.

Please note that there is a $50 application fee for admission to graduate study at UNL. If this fee is a financial hardship for you, please email us at NebraskaSTEM@unl.edu to inquire about options.


*Photos provided by the Center for Science, Mathematics and Computer Education (CSMCE).

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