Begin by taking Designing STEM Learning Environments and Experiences:
Designing STEM Learning Environments is a 3-credit course (EDUC 2035) that invites students to explore teaching as a career by providing first-hand experience co-teaching science and engineering lessons in local middle school classrooms. Teaching professors and mentor teachers provide ongoing support and feedback throughout the course.
Step 1 meets weekly on the CU campus (2.5 hours/week), plus 5 additional visits to a local middle school.
Coursework:
The CU Teach program is a four-year degree/licensure program that allows students to complete a rigorous education in a science, engineering, or mathematics major and fulfill the requirements for a Colorado initial teaching license in Secondary Science or Mathematics. For more information about courses and program requirements, visit the CU Boulder Course Catalog.
Interested in STEM outreach? Consider the STEM Education Certificate where students learn how to effectively communicate STEM related concepts. The STEM Education Certificate provides graduates with an important communication skill set useful in industry, academia, medicine, and other fields.
Have you heard about the Middle School Mathematics Licensure Program? This is an innovative new track for non-math majors interested in teaching mathematics in the middle grades, 6-8. For more information about sample courses, visit the School of Education website.
Scholarship and Internship Opportunities:
CU Teach students may be eligible for a number of scholarships including Americorps and a Noyce Fellowship. There are also scholarships and financial aid available for all programs in the School of Education. Finally, CU Teach Engineering students have a variety of Bechtel scholarships available to them. For more information, visit CU Teach Engineering.
CU Teach students have opportunities to complete paid internships in local nonprofit science and mathematics organizations. For example, Science Discovery and the Knowles Science Teaching Foundation offer very attractive opportunities for both science and math teacher candidates.
A Unique University Experience:
CU Teach students form a close community in which they share experiences of college life and obtaining teaching licensure. They continue to support each other after graduation through a network of STEM teachers who are interested in continued professional improvement and exploring issues of equity and justice within schools.
Support from Teaching Professors:
Teaching Professors are CU-Boulder faculty members who are veteran math and science teachers of grades 6-12. They teach courses as well as coordinate and support real-life teaching experiences for CU Teach students. Teaching Professors mentor CU Teach students from their entrance into the program to post graduation and are accessible to the students as a consistent source of support.
Support from Mentor Teachers:
Mentor teachers are teachers currently teaching in K-12 schools who help CU Teach students with feedback on lesson planning, teaching strategies, classroom management and other important issues that teachers face in today's classrooms.
Support from Affliated CU Teach Faculty:
Faculty members from the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering, and the School of Education work closely with CU Teach students. These faculty members all share an avid interest in K-12 education and discipline-specific education research.
After Graduation:
CU Teach provides continued support for its graduates by offering face-to-face and/or online support through regularly scheduled professional development opportunities to help them overcome challenges in the classroom. Additionally, CU Teach graduates can join the National UTeach Alumni Network, a collaboration of STEM educators that promotes inquiry-based education and offers opportunities for professional development.
