University of South Carolina College of Education Launches New Website to Recruit Teachers of Science and Mathematics

COLUMBIA, SC – May 5, 2014 – The University of South Carolina (U of SC) College of Education recently launched www.TeachScienceandMath.org, an interactive and informative website reflecting the new and exciting careers available to college students in teaching science or mathematics. 

The website is part of an overall marketing effort to recruit more students to become teachers of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), which are currently in short supply, especially in South Carolina.

Commenting on the goals of the new site, Dr. Ed Dickey of the U of SC Department of Instruction and Teacher Education said, “We wanted this website to introduce a fresh take on teaching and the opportunities associated with becoming a STEM teacher. The site is a great tool for students. It answers just about any question someone might have about the Teach Science and Mathematics program and explains that teaching can become a very lucrative career choice.

For example, the financial aid page of www.TeachScienceandMath.org offers an in-depth look at some of the most popular scholarships offered by the University, as well as some competitive teaching scholarships and loans. Students can come to the site not knowing much about earning their teaching degree and leave fully-informed about what the next steps are in making this career choice,” he added.

The site is also designed to recruit a population of teachers that better reflects the diverse population of students. Young and diverse faces are showcased in the rotating banner on the homepage and testimonials from current STEM teachers are included throughout www.TeachScieneandMath.org.

“We hope that the look of our new site, www.TeachScienceandMath.org, will help to re-brand the visual most people have of a teacher. We want to bring new life and currency to a teaching career and energize people into this valuable and rewarding career choice,” Dickey said.

The content-rich website is also user-friendly and easy to navigate, offering a fun and interactive design. Among the features of www.TeachScienceandMath.org are, flowcharts to help students determine their right path for a teaching degree, and a step-by-step guide to becoming a teacher of science or mathematics.

“There are many options to earning a teaching degree. All of these choices can be confusing, which is why the College is excited to unveil www.TeachScienceandMath.org,” added Dickey. “Its simple navigation and easy access to information makes it effortless for any student or potential student to learn more about earning their teaching degree. If students still have questions, the website links them to actual advisors at the College of Education who can help them further.”

The Teach Science and Mathematics campaign is made possible in part to a gift from the Duke Energy Foundation. The goals of this campaign are to change the diversity metric among STEM teachers, to increase COE enrollments for STEM teaching, and to change overall public perception of teaching in general.

For more information on the Teach Science and Mathematics program, please visit www.TeachScienceandMath.org.

About the University of South Carolina

The University of South Carolina (USC) was established in 1801 and is a full-service, state-supported research university that includes the 358-acre Columbia campus and seven regional campuses with a total full-time student body population of more than 39,500 and 2,100 full-time faculty members. The University provides researchers with a full range of grant-related services through its Sponsored Awards Management, Research Compliance, and Contract and Grant Accounting offices. Located in the capital city of Columbia in the geographic center of the state, USC’s main campus is part of a thriving metropolitan community of more than 450,000 inhabitants. USC offers a broad spectrum of educational opportunities with 14 colleges and schools that encompass 324 undergraduate and graduate degree-granting programs.