The National Science Foundation has awarded Sacramento State a five-year, $1.9 million grant to help 20 middle school and high school teachers become education leaders in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines.

The NSF Robert Noyce grant project is called SacMAST-L, for “Sacramento Mathematics and Science Teacher Leaders.”

The University will partner with the region’s three largest high-needs school districts – Sacramento City, San Juan, and Elk Grove – along with the Sacramento County Office of Education, NextEd (the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s workforce development and education affiliate), and the national nonprofit Parent/Teacher Home Visit Project.

“Federal resources for STEM education position our children for success in Sacramento,” says Congresswoman Doris Matsui. “This grant will strengthen the important partnership between Sacramento State and K-12 schools in our region, and provide educators with the resources they need to prepare our young people to compete in the economy of the future.

“This project is an investment by the federal government in the economic future of our students, our region, and our country.”

SacMAST-L will improve science and math education in the Sacramento region, says Jenna M. Porter, an assistant professor in Sacramento State’s College of Education and the principal investigator on the grant. “It will accomplish this by leveraging a current regional high school reform initiative called Linked Learning to increase students’ preparedness for college and careers in STEM,” Porter says.

“The project will build a community of math and science teachers who can lead regional implementation of new K-12 STEM standards and model effective practices within the context of Linked Learning.” – Dixie Reid