HAYS, Kan. -- Six students in Fort Hays State University's Noyce Teacher-Leader program will live the life of teachers in southwest Kansas beginning in January. They will teach mini lessons, observe classrooms and attend school activities, doing many of the things teachers do.

The students will teach in Rolla USD 217, Ulysses USD 214, Stanton County USD 452 and Hugoton Public Schools USD 215.

These students are first-year National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Scholarship recipients. The January field experience is for first-year students in the Noyce Teacher-Leader program.

"This field experience is a tremendous opportunity for students who aspire to be teachers of science or mathematics in a rural classroom setting," said Dr. Bill Weber, assistant professor of mathematics at Fort Hays State.

"It's also a great way to represent FHSU to rural communities. Our students interact with rural school students and create relationships and awareness of the FHSU family," he said.

Students selected for one of the six $12,000 scholarships at FHSU, which are renewable for a second year, receive specialized coursework such as teaching using distance learning technologies, leadership and professional development on issue facing high-needs schools. Students also complete a major in science or mathematics and a major in secondary or elementary education and participate in Noyce Teacher-Leader activities throughout the academic year.

In the Teacher-Leader program, students much have reached junior level, at least, and be majoring in physics, chemistry, biology, geosciences or mathematics.

In addition to preparation for teaching, additional resources support undergraduate research, travel to conferences and support during the first three years of teaching.
After program completion, the candidate is obligated to complete two years of teaching in a high-needs district for each year a scholarship is accepted.

The Teacher-Leader program is one of two Noyce programs at FHSU. The Noyce Summer Scholar program provides paid opportunities for students to experience teaching science and mathematics in informal settings such as camps and outreach programs before committing to pursue a career in teaching.

The six first-year students in the Teacher-Leader program:

Luke Abbott, Hays junior.
Sydney Lower, Hays senior.
Nicole Maurer, Udall junior.
Will Pingsterhaus, Cimarron junior.
Alysia Schwarz, Hays senior.
Lakin Werth, Hays junior.

FHSU also has two second-year students in the Teacher-Leader program, Amanda Barnum, Hays senior, and Nathan Purdue, Hays senior.

For more detailed information, please contact Bill Weber, bweber@fhsu.edu, 758-628-5375, or Janet Stramel, jkstramel@fhsu.edu, 785-628-4474.