INDIANAPOLIS — Thirteen grants totaling $9,609,702 were awarded to organizations and colleges to support programs that recruit, prepare, place and retain educators in schools with teacher shortages in science, technology, engineering and math subject areas, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education announced today. This is the second round of grants awarded through the S.T.E.M. Teacher Recruitment Fund, which was created by the Indiana General Assembly in 2013.

“These grants are amplifying efforts to recruit and retain educators in a field that’s rapidly changing the jobs of tomorrow in the Hoosier state,” said Gov. Mike Pence. ”When it comes to ensuring our young people are on a pathway to success in the workforce or in post-secondary studies, a S.T.E.M. curriculum is critical. I applaud and congratulate these grant recipients for their efforts in seeing that Indiana is filling teaching positions in this critical, high-need area.”

The projects funded through this round of the grant include teacher training in S.T.E.M. subjects, dual credit teacher credentialing, mentoring programs, and programs aiming to retain great teachers.

“These projects will help Indiana fill S.T.E.M. teaching positions in high-need areas across the state,” Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers said. “Amid statewide and national conversations about the need for more teachers who are qualified to teach S.T.E.M. subjects, this fund supports efforts that help Indiana attract, support and keep great educators.”

2016 S.T.E.M. Teacher Recruitment Fund Award Recipients

Conexus – $226,788*
Independent Colleges of Indiana – $2,140,353*
Indiana Association of Career and Technical Education Districts – $237,556*
Nextech – $277,283
Purdue Research Foundation (three grants awarded) – $1,109,947*
Teach for America – $2,154,539*
TNTP – $1,034,036
University of Notre Dame – $370,972
University of Southern Indiana Foundation (two grants awarded) – $763,437*
Woodrow Wilson Foundation – $1,294,801*
* Program received S.T.E.M. Teacher Recruitment Fund award in 2014.

Read more about each of the programs selected here.

Programs that received grant awards demonstrated strong potential to increase the numbers of teachers properly trained and credentialed to teach S.T.E.M. subjects in Indiana public K-12 schools. Teachers who receive support through these grants are required to work in eligible Indiana public schools.

Winning programs were selected by a committee of K-12, higher education and workforce stakeholders.

Learn more about the STEM Teacher Recruitment Fund awards here.