The Penn State College of Education's Center for Science and the Schools (CSATS) recently received a $5 million U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, entitled "STEM Pioneers: Elevating Elementary Teachers as the Frontier of STEM Education," that aims to impact hundreds of elementary teachers across the Mid-Atlantic region.
This project is part of the National STEM Teacher Corps Regional Alliance Pilot Program and will be led by principal investigator Kathleen Hill, professor of science education and director of Penn State's Center for Science and the Schools. Hill and her co-principal investigators Gay Stewart, Eberly Professor of STEM Education and director of the Center for Excellence in STEM Education at West Virginia University, and Tanner Huffman, professor of integrative STEM education and director of the Center for Excellence in STEM Education at The College of New Jersey, said the project aims to recognize outstanding elementary STEM educators who advance educational excellence in the Mid-Atlantic Region. The grant will directly support 27 members of the STEM Teacher Corps, known as the STEM Pioneers Teacher Corps, while extending professional development opportunities to hundreds of additional teachers throughout the region.
The STEM Pioneers Teacher Corps members will receive specialized professional development in STEM curriculum and educational leadership, classroom materials and travel support to attend regional workshops and science teacher conferences. These supported teachers will then serve as leaders and mentors, conducting workshops and building networks of support for K-5 STEM education across Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New Jersey.
"The new NSF project exemplifies CSATS' collaborative approach, involving partnerships with West Virginia University, The College of New Jersey, multiple K-12 school districts, award-winning teachers, state-level STEM education networks and science teacher associations," Hill said. "Together, we will evaluate how sustained, STEM-focused professional development enhances elementary teachers' STEM knowledge, confidence and leadership skills while supporting peer leadership and regional transformation."
The "Communities of Practice" model brings together a group of educators who share a common passion or goal and provides a structured yet flexible way for teachers to actively participate in their own learning, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration. The selected teachers of the STEM Pioneers Teacher Corps will have a shared identity and commitment to improving elementary STEM education. They will be afforded both structured and unstructured opportunities to learn and grow together and share their professional successes and challenges in teaching STEM to young learners within their school contexts. Further, the teachers' professional growth will be supported by the numerous project partners.
According to Hill, the network approach enables professional development efforts to be coordinated across state lines so that successful practices can be shared and scaled effectively. The partnerships also bring science and engineering faculty directly into professional development programs, where they share authentic research practices with teachers and help ensure that classroom instruction reflects the real work of scientists and engineers.
"CSATS serves as a vital bridge between Penn State's cutting-edge research and K-12 classrooms throughout Pennsylvania and beyond, transforming how students develop STEM fluency and critical thinking skills. This learning is essential for tomorrow's workforce and STEM-literate citizenry," Hill said. "The center's mission focuses on translating complex technical research into accessible, engaging educational experiences that directly benefit both teachers and students. By ensuring that research discoveries move beyond academic publications to create real-world educational impact, CSATS demonstrates how university research can transform society through the next generation of learners."
Hill explained that the center's approach is distinctive in its emphasis on authentic scientific and engineering practices. Rather than simply teaching about science, CSATS programs engage educators in the actual work that scientists and engineers do - from developing and using models and designing solutions to analyzing data and using mathematics and computational thinking.
"This innovative approach supports teachers in developing knowledge of science and engineering practices along with the pedagogical skills necessary to design and implement truly engaging STEM learning experiences for their students," Hill said. "CSATS' research agenda focuses on understanding the complex factors influencing teachers' knowledge, skills and confidence in engaging students with authentic scientific and engineering practices. This research is crucial as teachers need to understand how scientists and engineers actually work and think, and then translate that understanding into age-appropriate learning experiences."
