Rider Partners to Grow STEM Teaching Force

Rider’s School of Education was recently accepted as a partner in 100Kin10, a prestigious multi-sector partnership addressing the national imperative to train 100,000 science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) teachers by 2021.

“It’s very exciting to be in a pool with such a diverse network of partners,” said Dr. Judith Fraivillig, associate professor of Teacher Education, who authored Rider’s proposal. “Only 150 organizations nationwide were chosen to help answer President Obama’s call for skilled STEM teachers.”

Organizations are accepted as 100Kin10 partners following a rigorous vetting process conducted by the University of Chicago, which reviews the innovation and boldness of each organization’s commitment toward expanding, improving, and retaining the best of the nation’s STEM teaching force, or building the 100Kin10 movement, while also determining the organization’s capacity to meet the proposed commitment.  The partnership was founded and is led by Carnegie Corporation of New York and Opportunity Equation.

Rider’s project will create an innovative teacher preparation program that immerses candidates in an urban-rim elementary classroom for a full year, where they learn directly from children, classroom teachers, and Rider professors.

“Rather than studying theory in college coursework and only later applying it in student teaching, candidates will examine educational theory as the opportunity organically arises in the elementary classroom,” explained Fraivillig, who added that the program is particularly designed for change-of-career teacher candidates. “They will enter the classroom in September as observers, gradually assume instructional responsibilities throughout the year as they build professional knowledge, and exit in May as effective teachers.”

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The School of Education celebrated its 100th anniversary throughout the 2012-13 academic year.