University of New Hampshire Receives Nearly $10 Million to Expand STEM and Literacy Initiative
New England Council member University of New Hampshire (UNH) recently received nearly $10 million from the U.S. Department of Education to expand its STEM/Language Arts Teaching/learning Ecosystems (SLATE) project to 40 middle schools across New Hampshire. The program, led by UNH’s Joan and James Leitzel Center for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Education, combines tutoring from UNH students with professional education for middle school teachers to improve student performance in literacy, writing, and STEM.
SLATE will primarily serve rural schools and is expected to provide professional learning opportunities for at least 240 teachers, literacy tutoring for 720 students, and curricular support benefiting approximately 10,000 middle school students. UNH students will serve as near-peer tutors, while participating teachers will receive support on integrating writing and literacy across STEM and other subject areas. UNH researchers will study the program’s effectiveness with a particular focus on its impact on rural schools.
“We know that when students reach the middle grades without strong foundational literacy skills, content area instruction often becomes inaccessible and students fall behind,” said Julie Bryce, director of the Leitzel Center. “Literacy is one way to give students greater access to STEM.”
The New England Council congratulates the University of New Hampshire on receiving this federal funding and recognizes its continued work to strengthen education opportunities for younger students.