Frequently Asked Questions

NOYCE TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FAQs

Application Process

Can freshman or sophomores apply?

  • Eligible seniors  or alums majoring in math or science can apply until Round I:  November 30, 2012 or Round II:  March 22, 2013.
  • Eligible juniors majoring in math or science can apply until March 22, 2013.

Freshman and Sophomores are encouraged to apply for our Spring Break Internship.

Deadlines

What if I miss the deadline or want to apply early? 

Although each application has a set deadline, we welcome applications anytime prior to those deadlines.  In special circumstances, we would entertain applications beyond the deadline.  Please contact Bonnie Hallam ( bhallam@brynmawr.com) if you feel you have a valid reason for needing a deadline extension.

Eligibility

Who is eligible to apply for the Noyce Scholarship?

    • Scholarship recipients must be juniors or seniors majoring in math or science
    • Scholarship recipients must be U.S. citizens or nationals, or permanent resident aliens.

Financial Support

How much financial support will I receive as a Noyce Scholar?

  • If you receive the Noyce Scholarship to cover your senior and 5 year, you can receive up to $70,000.
    • If you receive the Noyce Scholarship to cover your 5th year, you can receive up to $35,000.

Timeline

Do we take the fifth year of schooling at Bryn Mawr? Or another school?

    • You take the fifth year at Bryn Mawr.

Do we officially graduate after four years, or five?

    • You officially graduate after 4 years.

    During the fifth year, are we just completing an education major (in one year?), or is it a different program?

    • You will be completing the requirements for teacher certification. There is no education major.  In addition to completing the math or science requirements for certification ( www.brynmawr.edu/education/academic/secondary_certification/) there are also a number of education courses you will need to take.

If I take Education classes now, can/will they count towards the education classes in the fifth year?

    • Yes and it is a good idea to start a few of the Ed courses before the 5th year as it is tough to fit them all into just one year.

Certification Requirements

For questions related to certification, please contact Ann Brown, Education Program Coordinator at abrown@brynmawr.edu

Job Placement

After all five years of schooling, do you help us to apply for jobs, or do we do that on our own?

    • Ann Brown from the Education Program helps with finding jobs as does our Noyce network. But we do not have a guaranteed arrangement with districts.
    • We help you work with CDO (Career Development Office) to gain the skills and resources needed to be successful in your job search.

    Do we pick from a proscribed list of "high-need districts," or do we present school districts for somebody to sign off on as sufficiently high need?

    • Either/both. We have a list of some of the high-needs districts in the region. But if there is a district you are interested in, we can check whether they meet the criteria.

Do we have to select a district in this area? I'm from California, and I'd like to settle down there someday.   It would be nice (nice, but not essential) if I could get my first teaching job in California.

    • Our goal is to have our Noyce scholars start their teaching in the Philadelphia region (Not just the Philadelphia School District but other high needs districts in the region would be ok too) so we can keep in close contact providing support and mentoring. A scholar with a compelling case can petition for a waiver of this requirement.

Scholarship Obligation

What is the length of commitment to teach in a high need school for someone who receives a Noyce Scholarship?

    • The rule is two years for every one year of scholarship taken:
    • If you receive a two year Noyce Scholarship (covers senior and 5th year), your obligation is to teach in a high need school for four years.
    • If  you receive a one year Noyce Scholarship (5th year only), your obligation is to teach in a high needs school for two years.

    When we've finished our four years (or two if you received a one year scholarship) of teaching, do we have to sign off in some way? Give a presentation on what our experience has been? At what point have we officially completed the program? Is that when we start mentoring future Noyce scholars, after the four years?

    • After teaching for two or four years (depending on how many years you have received a scholarship), then the Noyce obligation is fulfilled. There is no required final presentation/exam that needs to be passed to graduate from the program.
    • Each year that you teach in a high needs school, we will ask you to have some paperwork completed by your school administrator verifying your completion of that year.

High Needs Schools

For a list of high needs schools, please go to http://www.iup.edu/page.aspx?id=61723

Letters of Recommendation

Applicants need three (3) letters of recommendation

    • One by a faculty member in the discipline in which the applicant plans to teach.
    • One by a faculty or staff member or a non-college person who has supervised the applicant in a teaching setting.
    • One by the applicant's dean.

Penn Master's 5th Year Option

  • Students who receive a Noyce Scholarship can use their 5th year scholarship to get their master's and teacher certification from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. 
  • Juniors and first semester seniors can sub-matriculate into the program, second semester seniors and alums must apply to both Bryn Mawr/Haverford Noyce and Penn simultaneously. 
  • For details click here.

Support

Pre-Service:  What type of support does Noyce offer to Pre-Service teachers?

  • Opportunities to go to conferences
  •  Opportunities to take summer courses (with the $2500 per year stipend)
  • On-going contact and support from Noyce Program staff
  • Information about opportunities, resources, etc.
  • Opportunities to help the Noyce Program at BMC/HC as well as regionally

In-Service – Induction:  What type of support does the Noyce Program offer new In-Service teachers?

      • a mentor teacher for two years  
      • Learning Community meetings either at Bryn Mawr or with wider Philadelphia Regional Noyce community to support them as they teach.
      • Funds ($2500) to take professional development
      • Opportunities to go to conferences
      • On-going contact and support from Noyce Program staff
      • Information about opportunities, resources, etc.

    Once we are placed, are there ways for Noyce Teachers to support the program?

      • Noyce scholars who are teaching can support future Noyce teachers in a variety of ways.  For example, coming back to talk on panels at Bryn Mawr or having the Noyce spring break interns spend the week in your classroom. With our involvement with the Philadelphia Regiional Noyce Partnership, we hope to develop a continuum of opportunities for Noyce teachers to engage in ongoing professional growth and leadership development throughout their teaching careers.

 

NOYCE SPRING BREAK INTERNSHIP FAQs

      Application Process

      Can Juniors and Seniors apply?

    • Only Freshmen and Sophomores can apply for the Spring Break Internship
    • Applications will be received until January 25, 2013.

    Deadlines

    What if I miss the deadline or want to apply early? 

    Although each application has a set deadline, we welcome applications anytime prior to those deadlines.  In special circumstances, we would entertain applications beyond the deadline.  Please contact Bonnie Hallam ( bhallam@brynmawr.com) if you feel you have a valid reason for needing a deadline extension.

    Eligibility

    Who is eligible to apply for the Spring Break Internship?

      • Freshmen and Sophomores who think they might be interested in a Math or Science Teaching career in high need secondary schools.
      • International students are also eligible to apply if they are interested in teach math or science at the secondary level.

    Financial Support

    Is this a paid internship?

  • Yes.  Students participating in the Spring Break Internship will receive a $400 stipend and paid travel expenses

Placement

Where are interns placed?

  • We try to place interns in classrooms with teachers we know are excellent practioners. 
  • Interns are usually placed in pairs or small groups at the same school.
  • We make our best effort to place interns in the subject area they would most like to teach, but this is not always possible and students may have to intern in classrooms that are outside their choosen subject.
  • Interns will be placed in high need school districts in the Philadelphia area, but we would entertain the possibility of placing a student in a school outside the Philadelphia area if requested.

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More questions? Please contact Bonnie Hallam, Program Coordinator at bhallam@brynmawr.edu