K-12 Teaching Scholarships
Well-Funded Programs Attract Qualified Teachers
America's public school systems have taken a hit over the last few decades with funding cuts, criticism regarding pitifully unprepared children especially as compared to their international counterparts in math and science. K-12 teaching programs receive a big chunk of scholarship money, even at the state and national level.
If you're interested in K-12 education you will not have to look far for very reputable programs of study and scholarships. Colleges of education all over the country maintain well-stocked endowments designed to cull the most talented in elementary and secondary teacher candidates. K-12 teachers are trained to work with a range of children. New attention has focused on keeping classrooms areas of nurture and training educators who are sensitive to cultural, social and familial diversity. Teaching students also receive training on curriculum structure, language and reading and methods for implementing the latest technology in the classroom.
Scholarships
One of the first places to look for K-12 scholarship money, elementary, middle, or secondary scholarships is right in your own home state. Many public school systems are gutted of qualified teachers and chronically understaffed. State-funded teacher scholarship-for-service programs may pay for your education if you agree to teach for a certain amount of time in a "target" school system, typically disadvantaged or understaffed. Others add the stipulation of subject specialization: special education, science or math. Here are a few:
- Delaware Teacher Corps gives scholarships to qualified teaching students who will exchange service in a middle or high school after college. Preferred areas of specialization include a science or math.
- Illinois Golden Apple Scholars is a state program designed to encourage high school students to pursue teaching. Selection is based on academic talent and diversity as a means to boost the state's public education system.
- Mississippi's Critical Needs Teacher Scholarship gives full tuitions to those students enrolled in K-12 teaching programs who are willing to work in disadvantaged school systems following graduation.
The College of Education at Northern Illinois University specializes in educating K-12 teachers. Selection criteria often include academics, financial need, extracurricular activities and leadership skills. Scholarships available include:
- Penelope Cameron College of Education Scholarship is awarded to a junior majoring in Elementary Education.
- A. Kerby and Helene Tink Early Education Fund offer scholarships to students majoring in Elementary Education with the intent to teach middle school students.
- James and Moke Chee Wolter Scholarships recognize undergraduate Elementary Education students with an above average ability to relate to young children. Academics are a major consideration.
Inspiration Software, Inc. sponsors the annual Inspired Teacher Scholarships. The company creates software geared to K-12 teaching curricula that emphasize visual learning. The scholarships are given to a couple dozen outstanding K-12 teachers who exemplify visual learning and have incorporated it into their teaching with astounding success. Awards are $750.
The Prospective Secondary Teacher Course Work Scholarships award $10,000 to outstanding students pursuing Secondary Education with a concentration in Math. Scholarships are funded by Texas Instruments and are designed to boost the population of talented math teachers in the public school systems, a subject area traditionally lacking in talent and skill.
