The STEM Advancement through Collaboration in Teacher Preparation (STEM-ACT) program is entering its second year at Westfield State University. Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, the program provides WSU students who are on track to become mathematics or science teachers with scholarships and support from a Community of Practice that includes peers, STEM teachers, and WSU faculty.

In its first year, seven secondary math, or science, education students joined the program; this year, we welcome four more. As the number of scholarship recipients grows, so does our network with local school districts. WSU faculty members and teachers continue to work together, co-teaching in high school classrooms and engaging in reciprocal professional development, to create collaborative experiences that inform how WSU faculty prepare teacher candidates for the field. Students in our community have traveled to conferences in Boston and Washington, D.C., contributing to, and learning from, a broader network of regional and national NSF programs that similarly support teacher candidates.

To kick off the second year, we held a casual ice cream social with some members of the STEM-ACT community at The Summer House in Southwick, MA. The event brought together WSU students interested in teaching, STEM-ACT scholarship recipients, teachers, and faculty, a fitting reflection of the broader STEM-ACT community. The social gave us an opportunity to learn about each other and details of the STEM-ACT program. 

If you are interested in learning more about STEM-ACT or the eligibility details for up to $24,000 in scholarship funding, please visit the STEM-ACT website.