Athens State University and Calhoun Community College have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to create a pathway for students seeking a degree in STEM secondary teacher education to be able to begin their education at Calhoun and seamlessly transfer to Athens State to complete their degree. This MOU was created through Athens State’s new Athens State TEACH program.
The Athens State TEACH program launched in Fall 2023 and was designed to prepare more STEM teachers to meet the STEM teacher shortage in Alabama. Athens State TEACH will make it easier for students majoring in STEM fields to obtain their teaching certification by providing rigorous coursework and experiences supplemented by scholarships to students, academic support, and additional support through program faculty and staff. The new partnership with Calhoun will allow STEM students to have the opportunity to try out teaching as freshman and sophomores.
“We are proud to build on our historically excellent secondary education programs as we partner with the UTeach Institute to offer a certification path for STEM majors,” said Dr. Patricia Glaze, Athens State TEACH Co-Director and Associate Professor of Mathematics. “Athens State TEACH will encourage students who are working on a STEM degree to ‘try out’ teaching.”