Rep. Delgado Announces Rural STEM Funding for SUNY Oneonta

Today, U.S. Representative Antonio Delgado (NY-19) announced nearly $1.2 million in federal funding over the next five years from the National Science Foundation to prepare undergraduate science majors at SUNY Oneonta to teach in high-need schools. The funding will support the development of certified middle and high school STEM teachers in rural, high-need schools.

“Education is the gateway to opportunity and a critical need in our rural communities. I’m proud to announce federal funding from the National Science Foundation that will support teachers and administrators at high-need schools in our rural areas,” said Delgado. “I’ve worked alongside SUNY Oneonta to support our young people and look forward to seeing the success of this program both for the undergraduate students and our rural schools across Otsego County. I applaud this much-needed grant funding which is an investment in the next generation of teachers in our rural communities.”

“With this grant, we have a tremendous opportunity to put SUNY Oneonta students at the forefront of delivering high-quality education to youth in underserved areas. This project will give our science students the power to lower barriers and help reduce disparities in access to education,” said Dr. Barbara Jean Morris, SUNY Oneonta President.

This five-year project, funded by the National Science Foundation, aims to prepare high-quality science and mathematics teachers for high-need school districts. Improving the science achievement of students at high-need rural and urban schools requires teachers who can design daily instruction that aligns with student interests, while creating supportive and challenging learning environments. This project aims to prepare certified middle and high school STEM teachers via multiple academic and practical experiences, including teaching experiences in both urban and rural schools. The grant announced today will fund both teaching experiences in school settings and related hands-on experiences, including participation in Science Saturday programs and rural summer science camps. The project will also pair supported pre-professional teachers with mentor teachers during the new teachers’ first years in teaching.

This project will support partnerships between SUNY Oneonta and the Oneonta City School District, Charlotte Valley Central School District, and other rural high-need schools, New York City public schools, and the New York State Master Teacher Program. Over the project’s five year span, it will provide twenty-four undergraduate science majors with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed as teachers in high-need rural and urban school districts. The undergraduate science majors will earn Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemistry, Biology, Physics, or Earth Science.