**1.1 Action A-1: annually recruit 10,000 science and mathematics teachers by awarding 4-year scholarships and thereby educating 10 million minds**

The U.S. federal government and individual state governments have invested heavily in STEM education since the 1990s. Several initiatives, such as the National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program initiated in 2002, provided college students with significant scholarships if they sought a teaching credential and joined the K-12 teaching force. Private initiatives such as 100Kin10, referring to training 100,000 new Math and Science Teachers in 10 years, from 2011 to 2021, provided funding and support through partnerships to prepare new science and mathematics teachers. The U.S. Department of Education and almost every U.S. state also provided student loan relief for college graduates who chose to teach STEM disciplines in "high needs schools" (public schools located in areas where 30% or more of the student population comes from families with incomes below the poverty line). Additionally, large university networks, such as the UTeach Program, created teacher pathways that allow college students to earn a 4-year degree and a teaching certificate concurrently, supporting the preparation of preservice science teachers [4]. UTeach is currently implemented in 55 universities across the United States and has prepared over 8,300 new STEM teachers since 1997 [5]. While there is still a critical shortage of STEM K-12 teachers in the U.S., progress is being made.
