UGA has been awarded about $5 million from the National Science Foundation to pilot the National STEM Teacher Corps through its College of Education, aiming to support and elevate K–12 science teachers across Georgia. The NSF is providing up to $35 million nationally to fund as many as 10 regional alliances for an initial five years, with potential extensions. UGA’s pilot uses a three-hub model—STEAM Teaching Corps, Building Capacity, and Empower—pairing teacher development with embedded research to inform improvements and retention. The program is led by Julie Luft and involves university and K–12 leaders from across the state.
UGA Wins ~$5M NSF Grant to Pilot National STEM Teacher Corps for Georgia’s K–12 Science Teachers
UGA has been awarded about $5 million from the National Science Foundation to pilot the National STEM Teacher Corps through its College of Education, aiming to support and elevate K–12 science teachers across Georgia. The NSF is providing up to $35 million nationally to fund as many as 10 regional alliances for an initial five years, with potential extensions. UGA’s pilot uses a three-hub model—STEAM Teaching Corps, Building Capacity, and Empower—pairing teacher development with embedded research to inform improvements and retention. The program is led by Julie Luft and involves university and K–12 leaders from across the state.
20:04, 04.11.2025Science
UGA awarded nearly $5 million from NSF to pilot National STEM Teacher Corps in Georgia
The University of Georgia announced that it has received a grant of about $5 million from the National Science Foundation to pilot the National STEM Teacher Corps through UGA’s College of Education. Although the award is administered by the College of Education, the program is designed to support and elevate K–12 science teachers across the state.
What the NSF program funds
The National STEM Teacher Corps Pilot Program supports regional alliances that identify and recognize outstanding STEM teachers, increase their public visibility, and create career pathways that strengthen STEM research and scientific literacy. Nationally, the NSF is allocating up to $35 million to support as many as 10 regional alliances for an initial five-year period, with the option to extend partnerships up to 10 years.
UGA’s three-hub model
UGA’s pilot will use a three-hub model that combines practitioner development, leadership, mentoring and embedded research. Each hub will include leaders from partner organizations and a College of Education graduate student who will support hub activities and data collection.
- STEAM Teaching Corps: One K–12 teacher will be selected from each of the 12 Georgia Science Teachers Association regions. These teachers will share classroom practices statewide, join the National STEM Teaching Corps (a cohort of nationally recognized STEM teachers), and collaborate across hubs.
- Building Capacity: This hub will foster connections between early-career and experienced science teachers and develop a statewide mentoring network to strengthen instructional practice.
- Empower: Focused on leadership development, this hub will provide programming for experienced science teachers to elevate the profession and expand leadership pathways.
Research and impact
Each hub incorporates a research component. Data gathered will inform how teacher development programs can strengthen local teaching systems and improve teacher retention. The embedded research is intended to provide evidence-based recommendations for policymakers, districts and teacher-preparation programs.
Leadership and partners
The UGA pilot will be led by Julie Luft, director of graduate studies in science education, athletic association professor of science education, and distinguished research professor. Her team includes Paula Lemons (senior associate dean of arts and sciences), Amanda Buice (director, Georgia Youth Science and Technology Center), Melissa Neimi (science content director, Muscogee County Schools), and Jeremy Peacock (director of secondary education, Jackson County Schools).
Similar pilot efforts or adaptations of the National STEM Teacher Corps model are underway at other universities, including the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), Penn State, and Southern Methodist University.
Reporting credit: Miguel Legoas, Deep South Connect Team Reporter for Gannett/USA Today. This story originally appeared in the Athens Banner-Herald.