Woodrow Wilson teaching fellowships help STEM leaders

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WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio --  A fighter pilot. A civil engineer who volunteers with church youth groups. A pharmacy technician active in community drug recognition programs.

As Woodrow Wilson teaching fellows, individuals such as these with experience in the STEM fields -- science, technology, engineering and math -- have an opportunity to get young people excited about math and science in schools that typically struggle to recruit strong teachers.

The Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship (WWTF) --now offered in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and New Jersey -- seeks talented, committed individuals with STEM backgrounds to teach in high-need secondary schools. This program has been recognized by the White House and touted as a model by the Department of Education.
The fellowship offers recent graduates and those changing careers in the STEM fields a $30,000 stipend to complete an intensive master's degree program that focuses on a yearlong experience in a real-world classroom. Fellows commit to teaching for three years in high-need secondary urban or rural schools with mentoring and support from universities and schools.

Currently, 22 universities participate across two states -- including the University of Dayton -- as well as John Carroll University, the Ohio State University, Ohio University and the Universities of Akron, Cincinnati and Toledo. Each university partners with local districts to create classroom teaching opportunities that are included in the master's level coursework.

Nicole Moen, formerly Senior Airman with the 81 Communications Squadron at Keesler Air Force Base, is finishing her fellowship year at the University of Dayton. She will teach math. Her Air Force service, she says, gave her the attention to detail, problem-solving skills and teamwork that teaching requires.

"Veterans have a multitude of skills that can help open doors for students who need it the most," she said. "I believe the professionalism, dedication, and persistence of veterans make them good role models and teachers for the students that the WWTF program targets."

In Ohio, the fellowship is supported by federal and state funds through the Choose Ohio First program and by a group of private donors.

The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation of Princeton, N.J. administers the fellowship across four states.

Since 1945, the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation has worked to identify and develop leaders and institutions to meet the nation's critical challenges.

In its earliest years, the foundation worked to bring veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces into college teaching.

While the foundation's programs have broadened, veterans and reservists continue to enter teaching through the foundation's fellowships,. Eighteen have become Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellows.

To learn more or to apply, visit www.wwteachingfellowship.org