Deal: Grants to improve STEM education

ATLANTA — Gov. Nathan Deal today announced that Columbus State University, West Georgia University and Southern Polytechnic State University will receive grants of up to $1.4 million to replicate the UTeach program.

The program, Deal said, is a highly successful math and science teacher preparation program at the University of Texas at Austin. Funds for these grants were included in Georgia’s Race to the Top plan and the competition was open to universities across Georgia, according to the governor.

“This program will address the critical shortage Georgia faces in producing STEM teachers,” Deal said in a news release. “The most important thing we can do for students and Georgia’s future is to ensure that we have a quality teacher with strong content knowledge and a passion for helping students learn in every classroom. UTeach has seen great success elsewhere and I look forward to seeing it implemented in our state.”