Chapter 4: The Uteach Internship Program: Serving the Community and Promoting STEM Education

As the percentage of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers increases, the need for qualified teachers in these fields continues to grow (Department of Education, n.d.). Thousands are teaching out of field in STEM classrooms, and many do not have a standard teaching certificate (Texas Education Agency [TEA], 2018). These trends illustrate the continued need for high-quality STEM teacher preparation. Founded in 1997, UTeach is a nationally recognized secondary STEM teacher preparation program at The University of Texas that helps infuse the education system with highly qualified teachers who can educate the scientists and engineers of tomorrow.

The UTeach internship program partners with STEM-focused organizations, such as museums, after school clubs, makerspaces, and local schools to help fill the growing demand for high-quality educators by providing a workforce of part-time STEM preservice teachers. UTeach interns participate in activities such as supporting individual or small groups of students in STEM fields, researching lesson ideas, working on curriculum projects, and assisting classroom teachers. As Figure 4.1 indicates, the internship program not only supports UTeach interns, but also supplies mentors for K–12 students, provides no-cost support for the outreach efforts of internship sites, and fosters strong partnerships with the community.