DOANE RECEIVES LARGEST NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GRANT IN SCHOOL HISTORY

Doane University celebrated the recent announcement of a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation at its Crete campus. This marks the largest grant received from the NSF in school history.
The five-year grant will provide scholarships, stipends, and support services that will produce 25 new certified STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) teachers with the skills to teach effectively in high-need schools and persist within their profession.
Project partners included the following Nebraska (K-12) school districts: Lincoln Public Schools, Crete Public Schools, Fairbury Public Schools, Wilber-Clatonia Public Schools, Minatare Public Schools, and Niobrara Public School. These school districts represent urban, suburban, and rural communities, and all but Wilber-Clatonia are high-need local education agencies.
Project SERVE – STEM Educators with Resilience, Vision, and Expertise seeks to respond to the critical need for highly effective STEM teachers by recruiting, preparing, and supporting two cohorts of Doane students: undergraduate STEM majors and STEM bachelor degree holders interested in the teaching profession.
New activities to be incorporated into the existing high-quality teacher preparation program at Doane include:
Additional methods and practicum time in high-need schools
Observation from STEM faculty
Additional evening seminars focused on high-need schools
The project Principal Investigator is Linda Kalbach, professor of education and director of secondary education. Co-principal investigators include Rod Diercks, professor of education and director of middle school education, and Sharmin Sikich, assistant professor of chemistry.