National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense…" With an annual budget of $7.8 billion (FY 2018), they are the funding source for approximately 27 percent of the total federal budget for basic research conducted at U.S. colleges and universities. In many fields such as mathematics, computer science and the social sciences, NSF is the major source of federal backing. For more information, visit www.nsf.gov.
National Math + Science Initiative
NMSI, a non-profit organization, was launched in 2007 by top leaders in business, education, and science to transform education in the United States. NMSI has received national recognition for training 3-12 teachers and improving student performance through the rapid expansion of the NMSI College Readiness program, NMSI teacher preparation programs and UT Austin’s UTeach program. For more information, visit www.nms.org.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute plays a powerful role in advancing scientific research and education in the United States. Its scientists, located across the United States and around the world, have made important discoveries that advance both human health and our fundamental understanding of biology. The Institute also aims to transform science education into a creative, interdisciplinary endeavor that reflects the excitement of real research. For more information, visit www.hhmi.org.
The UTeach Institute
Established in 2006 at UT Austin, The UTeach Institute assists universities with implementation of the UTeach program and supports a growing, national network of K-12 educators and university-based research and clinical faculty collaborating to strengthen STEM education in the United States. This work is supported through a variety of strategic partnerships at the national, state, and local levels. For more information, visit www.uteach-institute.org.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Miami-Dade County Public Schools is the fourth-largest school district in the United States, comprising 392 schools, 345,000 students and more than 40,000 employees. Located at the southern end of the Florida peninsula, the school district stretches over 2,000 square miles of diverse and vibrant communities ranging from rural and suburban to urban. A truly global community, district students speak 56 different languages and represent 160 countries. Administrators, content specialists, and mentor teachers from Miami-Dade Public Schools in collaboration with other districts work in partnership with FIUteach faculty to ensure relevant, high-quality field experiences, feedback and mentoring throughout the students’ FIUteach program of study. For more information about Miami-Dade Public Schools, visit dadeschools.net.
Academic Unit Support
FIUteach is a formally coordinated effort of the College of Arts, Sciences & Education and the STEM Transformation Institute. Master teachers and tenure-track faculty from all participating units are actively involved in the development and ongoing implementation of the FIUteach program to ensure effective course articulation, explicit connections between mathematics and science, and an appropriate balance of STEM content and pedagogical instruction.
College of Arts, Sciences & Education
As the heart of a leading public research university, the College of Arts, Sciences & Education plays a vital role in the intellectual, cultural and civic life of local, national and international communities. The College provides an educational foundation that prepares FIU students to be successful and engaged citizens in a global society. The college generates extensive scholarship that yields new knowledge, shapes how we teach and learn, and contributes to a more complete understanding of the world.
STEM Transformation Institute
The STEM Transformation Institute is a multidisciplinary collaboration across the colleges of Arts, Sciences & Education and Engineering & Computing for the research and development of effective educational practices that lead to substantial increases in the number of well-prepared STEM professionals, including teachers, graduating from FIU. In partnership with local K-12 systems and colleges, businesses and industry, foundations and national education leaders, the institute is creating an educational landscape that supports all students, coming through multiple pathways, and leading to a productive workforce. The institute capitalizes on the unique skills our diverse student population brings to their learning and ultimately the workforce. As part of the institute’s commitment, FIU is a member of the national 100Kin10 movement which calls for calls for 100,000 new STEM teachers and an additional 1 million STEM professionals over 10 years. The institute thus serves as a living laboratory that disseminates practices, policies and STEM professionals across the nation.