Promote Excellence In STEM Teacher Education

UPDATE: We were able to raise our original goal of $4,000! We will be stretching our goal to $6,000 and hope to secure that goal during the month of February.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the dire shortage of qualified teachers at an alarming rate, in California more than any other state. To counteract the severe K-12 math and science teacher shortage, the UC system-wide CalTeach program inspires, prepares, and supports future STEM teachers, providing STEM majors with the opportunity to explore teaching through active in-classroom internships and seminar-style courses. The mission of CalTeach/MAST is to increase the number, quality, and diversity of STEM teachers entering the teacher workforce. Many CalTeach/MAST students matriculate at a Teacher Education Program, earning a teaching credential and contributing to alleviating the state and national crisis in qualified teachers.

This CalTeach/MAST crowdfunding campaign gives our friends, family, and community the opportunity to help UC Davis STEM majors who aspire to become teachers. The funds raised will reward two outstanding UC Davis STEM students (one math and one science/engineering major) who have graduated and been accepted to the UC Davis Teacher Education Program (School of Education) starting Fall 2022. The awards will meet two important goals: to provide financial support for these future teachers in their credential year, and to acknowledge the exceptional quality of their preparation to become teachers while undergraduates at UC Davis.

Preparing highly qualified STEM teachers is crucial to educate the next generation of citizens and voters -- in other words, all of us. Our crowdfunding project will have long-lasting impacts because every newly trained STEM teacher will make a significant difference to thousands of students' lives over their entire tenure as teachers.