Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the lead Democrat on the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations subcommittee which funds the National Science Foundation (NSF), announced with U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) that the NSF has awarded the University of New Hampshire $1,499,000 for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Specifically, this funding would be used to support UNH’s Master Teaching Fellowship project, which aims to recruit Granite State teachers, certify them as Master Teaching Fellows by deepening their knowledge of STEM subjects and empowering them with new, effective teaching strategies in high-need school districts throughout New Hampshire.

“It’s vital that New Hampshire students have access to quality STEM education programs so that they can compete in the 21^st century economy,” said Senator Shaheen. “That’s why I’m very excited to see these funds be awarded to UNH’s Master Teaching Fellowship project, which will empower dedicated Granite State educators with advanced training to educate students throughout our State. As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I’ll keep fighting for federal resources like this that support our students and invest in the future of our workforce.”

“Passionate, highly trained teachers are essential to a student’s development and can be instrumental in a student’s future success,” Senator Hassan said. “This federal grant will help train teachers in STEM education, with a particular focus on strengthening how they teach STEM subjects to high-need students. I will continue working to support initiatives that help expand economic opportunity, especially for those in underserved communities.” 

“In today’s economy, there is a significant and growing demand for skilled workers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM),” said Congresswoman Kuster. “This funding will provide educators-in-training with crucial knowledge, tools, and support to help them prepare students for opportunities in STEM careers. I’m pleased to join the delegation to announce this investment in our future, and I will continue working to ensure students are equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to thrive.”

“In New Hampshire and across the country we’ve seen career opportunities in STEM fields expand in recent years, and I’m pleased to see the University of New Hampshire lead this effort to improve STEM learning for students,” said Congressman Pappas. “Through partnerships with local school districts and professional societies, this initiative will play an important role in improving STEM education for high-need students across the state while preparing them for future careers in a growing field.”

“Our project team and the UNH Joan and James Leitzel Center for Mathematics, Science and Engineering Education are very pleased Building Equity Leaders for STEM in NH (BELS in NH) has been awarded funding from the National Science Foundation with the support of our congressional delegation,” said Lara Gengarelly, the project’s principal investigator and an Extension specialist and Leitzel Center affiliate associate professor in science education and outreach. “This award comes at a critical time as the project addresses a new approach to teacher leadership that is responsive to the needs of three school district partners—Nashua, Manchester and Rochester—and focuses on equitable education in the STEM disciplines. The BELS in NH model comprises three strands: teacher leadership, equity and enriched STEM content and pedagogies that are woven together to create a coordinated, comprehensive professional development model for improving STEM education for N.H. students.”

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