The BONAS-Teach program aims to recruit, prepare, and support aspiring teachers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Scholars will be able to receive up to $14,000 per year in financial support during their junior and senior year, covering their cost of attendance at St. Bonaventure.

BONAS-Teach scholars will have access to unique professional development, teaching, and research opportunities. BONAS-Teach scholars will also be set up with a long-term mentorship experience with St. Bonaventure alumni that will be facilitated in their first year as a scholar and continue through their first years as a new teacher.

As one of the requirements for this scholarship, BONAS-Teach scholars must work for at least two years for each year of scholarship received in a high-need school district.

The BONAS-Teach program was designed to help alleviate the critical shortage of STEM teachers in high-needs school districts, particularly in rural areas and is supported by a $953,000 grant from the National Science Foundation as part of the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program. 

To qualify for the BONAS-Teach program, scholars must: 

• Be a current U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident. 
• Be enrolled as a rising junior STEM-Adolescence Education major at SBU (biology, chemistry, math, or physics). 
• Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, with no grades in your major course of study lower than a “C”. 

As part of the application, students will need to have submitted and completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students are also asked to provide an unofficial transcript, an academic plan of study for junior and senior years, a current resume, a personal statement and two letters of recommendation. Please refer to the scholarship application for further details. 

 

Applications due July 12, 2024

Program benefits

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• Up to $14,000 scholarship per year.
  • Noyce Scholarship plus other grants, scholarships, and awards may not exceed the cost of attendance.
• Extracurricular opportunities that provide peer support, professional development, and cultural competency, including:
  • Opportunities for teaching, outreach, and leadership leading a weeklong STEM summer camp for local middle school students. 
    • Includes stipend and housing.
  • Opportunities for professional development, outreach, and leadership as part of the STEM educators club.
  • Workshops and activities to enhance cultural competency.
  • Summer research opportunities with STEM faculty in your field of study.
    • Includes stipend.
  • Financial support for attendance at local and regional conferences.
• Opportunities to foster connections and relationships.
  • Scholars will be set up with a long-term teacher mentor, drawn from SBU-trained STEM-education alumni, that will support the scholar from student teaching through their first teaching jobs.
  • Connect with other BONAS-Teach scholars and BONAS-Teach alumni through a fall semester orientation and spring semester scholars showcase.

Scholarship requirements

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• BONAS-Teach scholars are required to work in a high-need school district for two years for each year of the scholarship received. This must be fulfilled within eight years after graduating.
  • If graduates do not satisfy this teaching requirement within eight years, the scholarship amount will be converted into a loan in accordance with NSF policies.

Additional expectations for BONAS-Teach scholars

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• Participation in at least one BONAS-Teach scholar summer activity (STEM summer camp or Summer Research Experience). 
• Participation in the fall and spring BONAS-Teach scholar events.
• Engagement with teacher mentor.
• Provide feedback on professional growth and development during and after program completion.