CHICAGO, Aug. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The Golden Apple Foundation and the
Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) are joining forces to
address the so-called "quiet crisis" that America's declining scientific
and engineering talent pool represents. A $350,000 federal grant will allow
Golden Apple and IMSA to prepare more talented math and science teachers
for Illinois schools, especially schools of need.
U.S. Senator Richard Durbin, who secured the federal grant, said, "One
of the most serious issues facing the U.S. is competitiveness in the global
marketplace. America simply is not producing enough math and science
teachers and our students are falling behind. Unless we want to throw in
the towel on global competition, we need to make some dramatic changes. The
Golden Apple- IMSA partnership promises to improve student performance in
math and science. We must take action now to recruit, retain and train the
best possible teachers in the field. By investing in the minds of our young
people, we will help ensure America's continued economic prosperity."
"The funds enable Golden Apple to further its mission of providing all
Illinois children, especially those in needy communities, with excellent
teachers," said Dominic Belmonte, president and CEO of Golden Apple. "We
are pleased to join with IMSA to recruit teacher candidates from the math
and science departments of partner universities throughout Illinois."
The partnership will create a series of Summer Institutes at IMSA in
Aurora, scheduled to open in Summer 2007, where 25 participant "Scholars"
-- all majoring in math or science in a middle or secondary education
program -- will engage in active observation and participation in summer
school sessions in the mornings, and take course work in the afternoons on
advanced methodology. The Summer Institutes will be residential, five weeks
in duration, and will use the combined talent of Golden Apple Award-winning
teachers and IMSA educators to plan and present the appropriate coursework
to strengthen the preparation of the prospective teachers.
Participants will be chosen midway through their college years and take
part in two Summer Institutes. They will receive $2,000 to participate in
the Summer Institute and $2,500 university tuition. In return for the
program's benefits, participants must agree to teach for five years --
within eight years of graduation and teacher certification -- in an
Illinois school designated as a school of need by Golden Apple.
"Society has great expectations of its scientific and technical leaders
who improve the quality of our lives through ground-breaking discoveries,
life-changing inventions and bold policies that shape the 21st century,"
said Dr. Stephanie Pace Marshall, IMSA president. "This unique program will
develop teachers who can engage their students in rich opportunities to
develop their skills and interests in mathematics and science and in
related careers. We are grateful to Senator Durbin for his leadership
investment in the work of IMSA and Golden Apple."
Golden Apple Foundation advances the teaching profession in Illinois
through a number of distinguished programs, including the 21-year-old
Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching, which honor 10 Chicago-area
classroom teachers each year. Since 1989, Golden Apple also has sponsored
an advanced teacher preparation, internship and mentoring program for
outstanding young women and men with an interest to teach in an Illinois
school of need, identified by mediocre-to-low state test scores and
significant student population of low-income families. More than 1,000
Scholars have participated in the program. A 2001 study by the University
of Illinois at Chicago concluded that participation in the Scholars program
had a significant factor in improving the preparedness of its participants.
Harvard University named the Scholars program a finalist for its
Innovations in American Government award -- one of 15 programs out of 1,200
nationwide.
The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy(R) is an internationally
recognized pioneering educational institution created by the State of
Illinois to develop talent and leadership in mathematics, science and
technology. IMSA's advanced residential college preparatory program enrolls
650 academically talented Illinois students in grades 10-12. Nearly 19,000
teachers and 43,000 students in Illinois and beyond have benefited from
IMSA's professional development and student enrichment programs. Located in
Aurora in the high-tech corridor west of Chicago, IMSA serves the people of
Illinois through innovative instructional programs, public and private
partnerships, policy counsel, action research, and the leadership and
achievements of its graduates.
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