[April 05, 2012]

National Math and Science Initiative Receives $200,000 from JPMorgan Chase for UTeach Program to Train Math and Science Teachers

The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) announced today that JPMorgan Chase will provide $200,000 to support the highly regarded UTeach program to train math and science teachers on four university campuses across the United States: the University of California at Berkeley, Florida State University, Louisiana State University and the University of Texas at Dallas.

"This welcome support from JPMorgan Chase will help create a new generation of math and science teachers in the United States," said Dr. Mary Ann Rankin, President and CEO of NMSI. "Our nation needs an additional 280,000 math and science teachers by 2015, and the UTeach program is playing a key role in providing those teachers."

The grant from JPMorgan Chase will be used for induction training to help UTeach graduates majoring in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields to make the transition from college to public school classrooms. Since 2005, JPMorgan Chase has given nearly $340 million to education nationwide.

"At JPMorgan Chase, we believe that strengthening education is critical to the progress of our country," said Kimberly Davis, President of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation. "We are happy to partner with NMSI and UTeach, who are working to do just that."

NMSI, in partnership with the UTeach Institute, is implementing the path-breaking UTeach program in 29 universities this year. Enrollment in the popular program has tripled in the last three years, attracting a record 5,500 math and science majors across the country.

"Demand for the UTeach program continues to grow around the country," said Rankin. "This proves that more college studens will seek careers as math and science teachers if you provide an approach that makes sense. What we must do now is engage more forward-looking corporations like JPMorgan Chase - as well as foundations and state governments - to take this proven program to more college students across the nation."

About UTeach:

Originated at The University of Texas at Austin in 1997, the UTeach program enables students majoring in math, science, or computer science to receive full teaching certification without adding time or cost to their degrees. Ninety-two percent of UTeach graduates from the UT-Austin program become teachers, and 82 percent are still in the classroom after five years. About 45 percent of the UTeach graduates teach in high-need schools.

The core elements of the UTeach program include:

• Active recruitment and incentives, such as offering the first two courses for free.
• A compact degree program that allows students to graduate in four years with both a degree and teaching certification.
• A strong focus on acquiring deep content knowledge in math and science, in addition to research-based teaching strategies focusing on teaching and learning math and science.
• Early and intensive field teaching experience, beginning in the UTeach students' first semester.
• Personal guidance from experienced master teachers, faculty and public school teachers.

About JPMorgan Chase:

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2.3 trillion and operations in more than 60 countries. The firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers, small business and commercial banking, financial transaction processing, asset management and private equity. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, JPMorgan Chase & Co. serves millions of consumers in the United States and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under its J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.

About NMSI:

The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) was launched in 2007 by top leaders in business, education, and science to reverse the troubling decline in American math and science education. NMSI is dedicated to dramatically impacting the U.S. public school system by bringing best practices to education and replicating programs nationally that have documented success in math and science education. These programs include the Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program to prepare more high school students to succeed in college level courses, as well as the UTeach program to recruit and train more math and science teachers and the Laying the Foundation program to prepare middle school and high school students to succeed in pre-AP and AP classes.

Inaugural funding for NMSI was provided by the Exxon Mobil Corporation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Michael & Susan Dell (News - Alert) Foundation. Expansion of the UTeach program is supported by additional funding from the UTeach Institute, AT&T, Texas Instruments Foundation, the Texas High School Project, the Greater Texas Foundation, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, the Tennessee Department of Education, Texas Education Agency, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, and other private contributions. With funding from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, NMSI is increasing the impact of the program through an alumni network for UTeach graduates.

For more information, visit www.nationalmathandscience.org.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]