Woodrow Wilson News & Publications
FOR RELEASE: September 27, 2011
CONTACT: Beverly Sanford | Vice President for Communications
609-945-7885
WOODROW WILSON FOUNDATION COMMITS TO PREPARE
MORE THAN 1,000 TEACHERS BY 2015
AS PART OF GROWING NATIONAL 100KIN10 EFFORT
Initiative to Recruit, Develop, and Retain Excellent STEM Teachers for Public Schools
Secures Nearly $20 Million in Funding; President Obama Says "Nothing is More Important";
Secretary Duncan Lauds Initiative's "All-Hands-on-Deck Strategy"
PRINCETON, N.J.—The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation has announced its commitment to prepare more than 1,000 new teachers in the STEM disciplines—science, technology, mathematics, and engineering—as part of a growing national multisector movement.
The initiative, 100Kin10, currently comprises more than 80 partners committed to working to recruit, develop, and retain 100,000 excellent STEM teachers over the coming 10 years. The movement, being led by Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Opportunity Equation, today announced its continued expansion.
In addition to the Woodrow Wilson Foundation, current 100Kin10 partners include NASA, Google, Stanford University, Teach for America, the Clinton Global Initiative, and a range of federal agencies, universities, school districts, nonprofit organizations, corporations, professional associations, and others. Partners commit to apply their particular assets to creatively and strategically address the challenges of increasing the supply of and retaining excellent STEM educators.
The Woodrow Wilson Foundation has committed to prepare 1,052 STEM teachers over the next five years through its Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowships. These Fellowships recruit accomplished career changers and outstanding recent college graduates in STEM fields who will prepare for math and science teaching positions in their state's urban and rural schools.
Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellows receive $30,000 to use during a year of master's-level teacher preparation at a designated university. In exchange, they commit to teach in a high-need urban or rural school for three years, with ongoing mentoring. At present, 17 universities in three states—Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio—are participating, with more than 600 Fellows already in classrooms or preparing to teach.
James W. Fraser, Senior Vice President for Programs at the Woodrow Wilson Foundation, said of the national coalition, "The 100Kin10 initiative provides us the opportunity to link with others around the country who are committed, as we are, to dramatically improving the preparation and the numbers of STEM teachers for the next generation of Americans. We're excited to see this movement growing and we're excited to see the national attention that it's focusing on this crucial issue. The Woodrow Wilson Foundation decided four years ago to focus our efforts in this area, and momentum that's now building around the country is gratifying."
The initiative was originally announced at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) America Meeting in Chicago in June 2011, where President Clinton urged corporations, foundations, and other interested organizations to take part. At the seventh Annual Meeting of CGI in New York City last week, President Obama reiterated the imperative: "[Our future] demands that we give every child the skills and education they need to succeed. And I thank you for the commitment that you made to recruit and train tens of thousands of new science, technology, engineering, and math teachers. Nothing could be more important."
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan yesterday lauded the 100Kin10 initiative, saying: "President Obama and I believe that recruiting and preparing 100,000 excellent new teachers in the STEM fields is essential for our students' success in the 21st century knowledge economy. We need an all-hands-on-deck strategy to make this happen. I applaud the work of Carnegie Corporation and the Opportunity Equation and the 80 organizations including corporations, universities, non-profits, states, and districts that are coming together under the banner of '100Kin10' to provide our students with a world-class education in the STEM subjects."
Michele Cahill, Vice President for National Programs, Carnegie Corporation of New York and Co-Chair of the Opportunity Equation, said, "With 100Kin10, partners aren't just voicing their concern, they are making real, measurable commitments to solving a complex, national problem. We hope their commitments will help mobilize others to join in the effort to increase the supply of excellent math and science teachers and retain them and all those currently in the classroom so that all students have access to rich, engaging, challenging science and math learning."
A dozen corporate and foundation partners have created an initial funding base of nearly $20 million in pledges that can be allocated to any of the 100Kin10 partner organizations at the discretion of the funder. More information, including a complete list of partners and their commitments, is available on the 100Kin10 website.
# # #
Founded in 1945, the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation identifies and develops America's best minds for its most essential professions. The Foundation has supported and encouraged more than 21,000 future leaders at critical points early in their careers in education, the arts, business, government, and many other fields. Fellows include 13 Nobel Prize winners, 11 Pulitzer Prize winners, 35 MacArthur Fellowship "Genius Award" recipients, two Fields Medalists, and thousands of other noted leaders.