Financial Aid 
Calendar 
Library 
Directory 
Contact 
We Do STEM TEACHER PD
NOVA SySTEMic is committed to providing ongoing STEM professional development opportunities for educators in the Northern Virginia region to support the growing demands of the workforce. We help educators increase their skills as technologies develop, providing formal and informal support in many STEM related topics.
See below for current opportunities and Sign-up for our newsletter to receive updates on new opportunities as they become available.
Financial Support for STEM Teacher PD kindly provided by:
Dual Enrollment Expansion Program
The Go Virginia-funded grant program will pay for up to 18 credits for educators willing to becoming credentialed to teach Information & Engineering Technology (IET) Dual Enrollment courses. Course plan will be determined by NOVA's Credentialing team. Course work should be started as soon as possible with completion by end of Summer 2024.
Requirements
- Hold a current teaching license.
- For most IET courses: 2-years of IET work experience (excludes teaching experience).
- For most CS courses: a master's degree in any program.
- Currently a high school teacher or plan to become one.
- Have support from your district DE Coordinator or CTE Coordinator.
Accepting applications on a rolling basis through Spring 2023.
What is the Process to Participate in this grant?
The application will need to be completed by February 1, 2023. After applications have been reviewed, selections will be made, and applicants will be notified. If selected into the program, the next steps will be provided at that time.
What Should I Submit with my Application?
Please submit your resume with complete work history, copies of transcripts, and relevant industry certification. If accepted into the program, official transcripts will need to be submitted.
Who is Eligible to Take Courses Through the Grant?
Current high school teachers or district employees who hold current teaching licenses and want to become credentialed to teach high school Dual Enrollment (DE) IET courses. Those who want to teach high school are welcome to apply as well. Applicants must have support from their district to participate.
How Will I Know What Courses I Need to Take?
The NOVA Credentialing team will review your resume, including your work history, your transcripts, and your industry certifications, to see what aligns with teaching NOVA IET courses dual enrollment for your district, and will identify which additional courses need to be taken.
How Many Credits Can be Paid for Through the Grant?
The grant will pay for up to 18 credits to complete required coursework to meet credentialing requirements.
If Selected, When Will I be Taking These Courses?
To earn 18 credits, we highly recommend taking: 6 credits Summer 2023, 3 credits fall 2023, 3 credits spring 2024, and 6 credits summer 2024.
DCO Tech Secondary Externship Program
This National Science Foundation-sponsored grant program is open to secondary school CTE administrators, teachers, and counselors. The Secondary Externship Program will equip participants to build awareness for the Engineering Technology (ET) and Data Center Operations (DCO) careers in the region and the educational pathways NOVA provides to prepare students for these in-demand and high wage careers.
Secondary Externship Participants will:
- Attend a tour and professional development day at the NOVA Manassas Fab Lab
- Attend an industry tour focused on engineering technology career opportunities and daily operations
- Attend a data center tour to explore data center career opportunities and daily operations to keep the world connected
- Develop a plan to create awareness of and guide students to NOVA’s DCO and ET programs
- Receive a $500 stipend for participation
- Program runs mid-March through mid-July
2023 cohort began in March. Please contact nschuhnuhfer@nvcc.edu for late registration inquires.
Design Thinking Fellowship - MBD Grant
The National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsored program is open to middle and high school teachers, informal STEM learning professionals, and college faculty. Complex problems require innovative and creative solutions. Design thinking is the key to challenging assumptions and approaching problem solving in a collaborative, interdisciplinary and non-linear way.
Design Thinking Fellows Will:
- Complete a 5-day Professional Learning (PL) Institute in Spring 2023 at NOVA's Fab Lab.
- Practice teaching PL topics at a 1-week fabrication summer camp.
- Participate in the Fall 2023 Fab Lab Design Challenge.
- Create lesson plans for sharing to digital repository focused on design thinking and digital fabrication.
- Receive a $2,200 stipend for participation.
Applications for the 2023 cohort have already been accepted. 2024 program information sessions and application will be made available in November 2023. Sign up for our newsletter to keep up with program announcements.
SySTEMic Fellowship
The SySTEMic Fellowship is a 9-month paid program designed to develop high school students, college students, and professional educators through hands-on experiences and training on vital STEM content with the opportunity to apply these concepts outside of the classroom to promote STEM education in Northern Virginia.
Those admitted to the program will choose one of three fields of focus: Digital Fabrication, Microelectronics, Robotics. The program contains virtual and in-person training sessions on the chosen field of focus, opportunities to contribute to existing programs, as well as a call to action to continue to implement ideas learned in the fellowship through summer camps and classroom experiences.
Fellowship training began September 17, 2022
Sign-up for our newsletter to keep up with future STEM PD opportunities!
Training Requests
NOVA SySTEMic provides on-site professional development on an as-needed basis throughout the school year and summer. Please complete the form below to request professional development. Training can be a few hours or all day depending on division needs. SySTEMic will provide the laptops and materials for participants.
Request Training for Your School Division