Wipro STEM Fellowship Program introduced at Michigan State University

Wipro Ltd today announced a $2.8-million grant for a fellowship program to be introduced at the Michigan State University (MSU).

This multi-year program  will involve over a hundred school teachers, with the aim of nurturing excellence in science and mathematics, starting with the public school systems of Chicago.
 
The Wipro STEM Fellowship Program will focus on building leadership in these disciplines in urban schools by leveraging on research validated expertise of the College of Education at the MSU in designing transformative and innovative instructional experiences. For the Chicago public schools system, this program and its fellow teachers will be an integrated part of its effort towards STEM capacity development in the districts.

Wipro's initiative is aligned with the US national goal to significantly improve the quality of education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). "Wipro is committed to being an involved participant in its communities. This initiative seeks to develop and inspire young people to contribute to excellence in STEM education,'' said T.K Kurien, Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Board, Wipro Ltd.

The program, to be entirely funded by Wipro, will identify teachers committed to teaching in urban schools after a rigorous selection process. Participants will be elementary or secondary school educators.

Successful participants will earn a graduate certificate in STEM Teaching and Leadership recognizing their commitment and expertise in STEM fields in urban education. All program participants will also become part of the STEM Urban Learning & Leadership Community.

This community seeks to create a cohort culture that builds both individual and collective capacity to give an impetus for STEM learning outcomes among urban students. The program leverages directly on the significant Urban Education initiatives of the College of Education, MSU, and its award winning Master of Arts Program in Education Technology.

The College of Education, MSU is one of the leading schools of education in the US, working across multiple states.

''There is a critical shortage of excellent math and science teachers nationwide and even more so in urban school districts,'' said project co-leader Sonya Gunnings-Moton, assistant dean in the College of Education, Michigan State University. ''We need leaders among teachers who can build not only their own capacity to improve learning, but also the capacity of their colleagues.''

Aarti Dhupelia, chief officer of college and career success at Chicago Public Schools said, ''The cornerstone of providing a high quality STEM education for our students is ensuring we have exceptional math and science teachers leading the way.  We are so grateful for this partnership with Wipro and Michigan State University that will have a transformational impact in our classrooms and communities.''

''This programme is designed to develop each of these teachers into catalysts of change in disadvantaged communities of urban areas. This initiative also dovetails with our vision of making a deep and impactful contribution towards achieving high quality education,'' said Anurag Behar, Wipro's chief sustainability office.

This initiative with MSU is the second such program that Wipro has kicked off in the past 16 months in the US. In 2012, Wipro and the University of Massachusetts, Boston (UMass Boston) jointly launched a fellowship program across 10 districts of Boston and Newark area in STEM Education, with the aim of fostering excellence.