47-2 Pathways to the Classroom: Engaging Community College Students in K–12 STEM Teaching

Session: Sharing Geology: Building the Geocommunity Through Creative Engagement (Posters)

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Since Fall 2022, Monroe Community College (MCC) has partnered with SUNY Geneseo through an NSF-funded collaboration with the Noyce Foundation to strengthen the pipeline of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students entering K–12 teaching careers. The project engages MCC STEM students, many of whom had not previously considered teaching, on Noyce Creation Teams that work directly with STEM teachers in the high-needs Rush–Henrietta Central School District south of Rochester, NY.  Each semester, MCC students consult with a K–12 STEM teacher to analyze existing lessons and design active-learning revisions under the guidance of MCC geology faculty. Some of the work the MCC Noyce Creation Team has redesigned with chemistry and earth science teachers include topics related to acids and bases, phase changes, weathering, climate zones, seismology, and the geologic history of New York State.

Creation Teams then implement these activities in K–12 classrooms with teacher supervision. K–12 students consistently reported positive learning experiences, and MCC participants demonstrated increased understanding of and interest in STEM teaching. Several MCC students have continued their teacher preparation pathway at SUNY Geneseo, further contributing to the regional STEM educator pipeline.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 58, No. 2, 2026

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