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Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship

The Georgia Southern (GS) Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship offers scholarships for students majoring in Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Mathematics, or Physics to complete dual undergraduate degrees (a B.A./B.S. in the content area and B.S.Ed. in Secondary Education) that result in a Georgia secondary teaching credential. Paid internship experiences are also available for freshman and sophomore students who have an interest in teaching secondary education in biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics.

Benefits Our Noyce Scholars Receive

  • Up to $12,500 for each academic year of study (junior, senior, 5th year)
  • Opportunities to engage in informal STEM education programs
  • Hands-on summer academies focused on integrating problem-based curriculum into the secondary STEM classroom
  • Opportunities to attend and present at state mathematics and science conferences, regional and national Noyce conferences
  • Mentoring through a professional learning community

About the Noyce Scholarship Program

The Georgia Southern University (GS) Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF Award # 2151023) and responds to the need for STEM (particularly Science and Mathematics) teachers in secondary (6-12 grades) learning environments, particularly those identified as high-needs.

The program supports students starting in their junior year with funding to support the final three years of undergraduate study.

More information on the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program is available on the national Robert Noyce Scholarship Program website or the National Science Foundation website.

Program Details

Ready. Set. GO!

The goal of the Georgia Southern Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program is to prepare our scholars to work with high-needs secondary school populations including demographically diverse populations, English language learners, and special education students. The program aims to recruit, retain, and mentor quality secondary educators through comprehensive and scaffolded opportunities including:

Freshman-Sophomore Program

In order to engage freshman and sophomore students, the College of Education’s Center for STEM Education will facilitate interested freshman and sophomore students in internships during the academic and summer semesters. Students may complete their internship in one or multiple settings.

Internships will be 40 hours over the course of 1 academic year (equivalent of 4 hours a month). Students can choose to fulfill this requirement in one semester or across the whole year. Students must commit to working at one site for a least a semester. The following sites are examples of places where you can intern:

  1. Tutoring at the Boys and Girls Club, Statesboro Regional Library, or other community venue.
  2. Working with the Georgia Power Education Coordinator
  3. Tutoring at after school programs
  4. Working with other campus-based organizations, like the Botanic Garden, to assist with summer camps and school visits.

Junior, Senior, and 5th Year Program

We are excited you have thought about teaching as a profession and welcome you to apply to our teaching scholarship program. We know that your final years in college can be fast-paced and filled with opportunities for research and projects. In order to participate fully in the Georgia Southern Robert Noyce Scholarship Program, you will complete the following academic plan which will help you meet the requirements of both your STEM and education degree programs.

Junior Year (Scholar Year 1)

Ready Phase: Provide a comprehensive introduction to the attributes of being a successful mathematics/science teacher in diverse, high-needs school settings.

Required Courses/Scholar Activities:
  • Continue to enroll in content courses.
  • Complete a year-long colloquium consisting of six, 90-minute meetings each semester
  • Apply to become STEM Ambassadors with the Center for STEM Education. Ambassadors are assistants for outreach programming and will be required to complete one outreach activity per semester. Activities could include: attending a STEM Night, assisting with Science Olympiad and Science Bowl, or helping with the development of classroom activities.
  • Attend both state disciplinary conferences (Georgia Council for Teachers of Mathematics and Georgia Science Teacher’s Association) where they will participate in session presentations and begin to develop their network of professional contacts.
Summer Programming
  • Attend a one-week summer internship with state biologists, researchers, at the Georgia Southern Botanic Gardens focused on leveraging local resources to promote problem-based learning.
  • Attend Noyce regional/national conferences where they will participate in session presentations and begin to develop their network of professional contacts.

Senior Year (Scholar Year 2)

Set Phase: Further student’s conceptual understanding of the attributes of a successful secondary mathematics/science teacher including: content, students, and pedagogical instruction techniques.

Required Courses/Scholar Activities:
  • Enroll in upper-division content courses, elective courses (as needed) and education courses.
  • Complete a year-long colloquium consisting of six, 90-minute meetings each semester.
  • Complete one STEM Ambassador activity per semester and co-lead a professional development activity at their spring field placement.
  • Attend both state disciplinary conferences and co-present with project faculty.
Summer Programming
  • Participate in a one-week summer internship developed in conjunction with the University of Georgia Marine Extension Program and Georgia Sea Grant focused on leveraging coastal Georgia resources to promote problem-based learning.
  • Attend Noyce regional/national conferences where they will participate in session presentations and begin to develop their network of professional contacts.

5th Year (Scholar Year 3)

Go Phase: bridge scholar learning in Year 1 & 2 with their clinical experience and coursework.

Required Courses/Scholar Activities:
  • Enroll in education courses and COE/COSM seminar course (Spring semester).
  • Complete a full-time clinical practice experience in the Spring in Savannah-Chatham County or Evans County Public Schools.
  • Participate in a yearlong colloquium consisting of six, 90-minute meetings each semester.
  • Complete one STEM Ambassador activity and co-lead a professional development activity at their clinical practice placement.
  • Attend both state disciplinary conferences and co-present with project faculty and/or regional/national Noyce conferences.

Teacher Induction and Development (Post-Graduation)

During your first six years of teaching, you will be honing your craft, figuring out classroom management, and learning to navigate the classroom, school, and district. The Noyce teaching scholarship is committed to helping you succeed and therefore offers post-graduation coaching and development plans.

Induction Year 1:

  • Develop and implement collaborative coaching plans.
  • Engage in six community of practice virtual meetings.
  • Participate in one on one meetings with Noyce scholarship program directors to discuss any concerns and help locate resources.

Induction Years 2-3:

  • Develop and implement collaborative coaching plans.
  • Engage in six community of practice virtual meetings.
  • Participate in one on one meetings with Noyce scholarship program directors to discuss any concerns and help locate resources.
  • Mentor subsequent Noyce Scholar Cohorts.

Induction Years 4-6:

  • Engage in one virtual meeting per semester.
  • Mentor subsequent Noyce Scholar Cohorts.

Scholarship Eligibility

The GS Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship offers up to $12,500 each academic year, starting in the junior year, for students majoring in Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Mathematics, or Physics AND who commit to earning secondary teaching credentials through a B.S.Ed Program of study. Students may accept the award for one, two, or three years with a two year commitment to teach mathematics or science in a high needs secondary school district for each year the award is accepted. The scholarship is awarded as a forgivable loan.

Eligibility Requirements

Georgia Southern Robert Noyce Teacher Scholars are expected to:

  • Be enrolled as a full-time student at Georgia Southern while receiving the scholarship*.
  • Have declared a major in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, mathematics or physics (students in Social Sciences, Liberal Arts, Public Health, and Business are not eligible for this program).
  • Maintain a minimum overall GPA of a 3.0 or higher.
  • Be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident.
  • Make commitment to apply to Georgia Southern’s secondary credentialing program through the College of Education.
  • Commit to teaching at least two years, for each year of scholarship acceptance in a high needs secondary school district.
  • Must reside on the Statesboro Campus.

*We understand that sometimes you may not be to take a full load of classes. However, if you have to drop a course that puts you below 12 hours please be aware that you may be expected to return a partial payment to the scholarship fund. If you must drop a course you must contact the Noyce Team immediately, prior to the drop date, so they can make arrangements for you to speak with the Bursar’s Office.

Scholar Commitments

  • Teach two years at a high-needs secondary school for each year of financial support received. Typically GS Robert Noyce Teacher Scholars will teach for six years at a high-needs secondary school.
  • Complete requirements for both content and secondary education courses.
  • Maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher.
  • Commit to remaining in contact with the GS Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program after graduation.

NOYCE Scholarship Application

The application for the GS Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship is open to all sophomore majors in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, mathematics, or physics. Applications are now being accepted for the 2023-2024 academic years. The application has four parts:

  1. Noyce applicant information
  2. A short essay
  3. Two letters of recommendation. The letter(s) should be from a STEM professor or advisor who can address your abilities and potential for becoming a STEM teacher. Recommendation letters should be sent using this form.
  4. A copy of your most recent Degreeworks transcript (unofficial is acceptable)

INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE REVIEWED.

If you are unable to access the Google Form Application, please contact noyce@georgiasouthern.edu for a paper application.

FAQs

Who is eligible?

  • Recipients of GS Robert Noyce teaching scholarships must be US citizens, nationals, or permanent resident aliens.
  • Applicants must be in process of pursuing a baccalaureate degree in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, mathematics, or physics.
  • The GS Robert Noyce Scholarship offers up to $12,500 each academic year for eligible recipients.

How do I apply?

A downloadable application can be found here.

How do I submit reference letters?

Reference letters can be submitted through the reference link or directly to the Program at noyce@georgiasouthern.edu

How will a Noyce Scholarship affect my financial aid?

If your financial aid plus the Noyce scholarship exceeds the total cost of attendance, then your total aid award will be reduced only by the amount that exceeds the cost of attendance.

What does high needs mean?

To qualify as a High-Need School District, the school district must have at least one school that:

  • Serves at least 20% students from low-income families;
  • Serves at least 10,000 students from low-income families; OR
  • Qualifies for funding under the Small, Rural School Achievement Program or the Rural and Low-Income School Program

AND

  • Has at least 34% of teachers not teaching in the academic subject area or grade level for which they were trained to teach;
  • Has a teacher attrition rate of at least 15% over the last three school years; OR
  • Has at least 34% of teachers teaching with emergency, provisional, or temporary certification/licensure

Is there a list of schools that qualify as high needs?

There are several webpages to help you locate high-needs schools districts. Since these change frequently, Noyce mentors will work with you to help you determine which districts/schools qualify when you are ready to apply.

Will I be assigned a school or district to work in upon graduation?

The Noyce Team does not place Noyce Scholars for full time employment.

What if I cannot find a job in a high-needs school or decide to pursue another profession?

Failure to satisfy the academic requirements of the program or to complete the service requirement will result in the recipient’s forfeiture of the scholarship award with repayments pro-rated accordingly to reflect partial service completed. The formula used to calculate the repayment will be, A = F[(2-s)/2] where “A” is the amount Georgia Southern is entitled to recover; “F” is the sum of the total amount paid to the recipient; “2” is the number of years of service obligation; and “s” is the number of years or fraction of years of such obligation served.

Except as noted below in “Conditions for Waiver and Cancellation” any amount that Georgia Southern is entitled to recover is due within 30 days of the date on which Georgia Southern is entitled to recover such amount. After such time, interest will accrue on the outstanding obligation.

Georgia Southern may waive the repayment obligation, in whole or in part, if it is determined that fulfillment of the service obligation

(1) would be impossible due to a disability of the recipient,
(2) would result in extreme hardship to the recipient, or
(3) is determined to not be in the best interest of the school district.

The recipient must initiate requests for waivers of repayment obligations with a certified letter detailing the reasons why a waiver should be given. Additional documentation may be requested. Decisions on waivers of repayment obligations will require a majority vote by the Principal Investigators of the Noyce grant and the recipient’s faculty advisor(s) during the student teaching and/or induction year of teaching. The Principal Investigator of the grant, or a designee, will respond in writing to requests for waivers by certified mail within 14 days of a request for waiver of repayment obligation.

  • Georgia Southern will cancel any repayment obligation in the event of the death of the recipient.

Can I work in a private or charter school?

Recipients must commit to serving at least two years for each year of scholarship acceptance as a mathematics or science teacher in a high needs school upon receiving certification.

If the school is part of a Local Education Agency (LEA) or religious jurisdiction, such as a diocese, that functions as an LEA, it can satisfy the Noyce high-need requirement as long as the LEA meets the two criteria of the high-need LEA requirement as defined in section 201 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1021). A high-need LEA does not have to be a public school system.

Who is Robert Noyce?

Robert Norton Noyce (December 12, 1927 – June 3, 1990), nicknamed “the Mayor of Silicon Valley”, was an American physicist and entrepreneur who co-founded Fairchild Semiconductor in 1957 and Intel Corporation in 1968. He is also credited with the realization of the first monolithic integrated circuit or microchip, which fueled the personal computer revolution and gave Silicon Valley its name.

I still have questions. Who should I contact?

If you have any further questions, please email noyce@georgiasouthern.edu.

Contact Us

Gregory Chamblee, Ph.D.

Program Director

College of Education

Amanda Townley, Ph.D.

Program Co-Director

College of Education

Tuyin An, Ph.D.

Program Co-Director

College of Science and Mathematics

Denise Carroll, Ph.D.

Program Co-Director

College of Science and Mathematics

This project is supported by the National Science Foundation Award Number 2151023. Any opinions, findings, and recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Last updated: 11/9/2023