Culturally Sustaining STEM (CS-STEM) Teacher Program

The PLU Culturally Sustaining STEM (CS-STEM) Program is designed to prepare STEM teachers committed to teaching for equity and justice. There is a need for highly effective K-12 STEM teachers equipped to teach diverse populations of students. In order to improve educational outcomes for K-12 students who have been historically marginalized and disenfranchised by education, teachers must be equipped to deliver high quality STEM content in culturally sustaining ways.

The CS-STEM Program is designed for:

• for senior PLU STEM undergraduate students who plan to enter the PLU Masters in Education (MAE) program upon graduation and
• for students entering the PLU MAE program who have earned their Bachelor’s degree at PLU or at another institution.

The CS-STEM Program at PLU provides:

• funding for students interested in teaching middle school or high school during their final undergraduate year at PLU
• support for undergraduate STEM majors interested in teaching through advising and CS-STEM Equity Seminars
• funding for students interested in teaching middle school or high school during the PLU Masters in Education program
• induction support to scholars after they complete their Masters in Education during their first two years of teaching in a school district

Are You Interested in Becoming a CS-STEM Teacher?

• Do you want to teach a STEM field in a middle or high school in a high-need school district?
• Are you committed to addressing education inequities?
• Are you a STEM major or have a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field?
• Do you want to be part of a cohort learning to teach in culturally sustaining ways?
• Do you want mentorship during your education program and for the first two years when you begin teaching?
• Do you want to learn more about our forgivable loans for up to $21,700?

Funding is available through the CS-STEM Program

Funded through the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program (Award ID 195016), this program provides eligible students with forgivable loans of up to $21,700/year. Funding is awarded to eligible STEM majors during their final year as undergraduates at PLU and to graduate students in the PLU Masters in Education program earning certification to be a STEM teacher.