Fresno State is the recipient of a five-year, $1.2 million award to help train teachers with computer science skills.

The award from the National Science Foundation will go toward providing students in the College of Science and Mathematics with a Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship to become a computing-capable teacher through the single subject credential program.

The award will help support 60 students over five years to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics teaching careers.

“The program has several support mechanisms, including financial support, a community of practice, professional development workshops, one-on-one meetings with discipline-specific advisers and field experiences” stated Dr. Matin Pirouz, assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and the principal investigator of this NSF-funded project. “The scholarship covers tuition fees as well as a stipend for the duration of the program.”

“The program is expected to directly impact at least 7,000 high school students, many of whom are from less-resourced socioeconomic backgrounds,” Pirouz added.