ICTM CollegeScholarships

The Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics will be presenting its annual Scholarships in Mathematics Education in October of each year.  ICTM has been awarding Scholarships to college students since 1989.  You can see a list of past winners here. See our current winners at the bottom of this page!

There will be up to three scholarships granted of $1,500 to help defray educational expenses of the recipients. Awardees also get a free 1-year ICTM membership, free registration to the annual ICTM conference, and an ICTM board mentor. You can help ensure that these scholarships are available for future generations by donating to the scholarship fund.

To be eligible for the 2023-2024 scholarship, a student must:

  1. Be enrolled as a junior or senior in an accredited university or college in Illinois during Spring 2024 with a graduation date of May 2024 or later.
  2. Be working on their first bachelor’s degree with an intent to teach in Illinois upon graduation.
  3. Be a mathematics education major, a mathematics major with an education minor, an early childhood major, or an elementary education major.
  4. Have a total overall GPA of at least 3.00 from all colleges attended (based on 4.00).
  5. Submit digital copies of the following through the ICTM Scholarship Submission Portal:
    1. A completed ICTM scholarship application form that includes:
      1. Applicant information
      2. Two 200-300 word essays
      3. A complete lesson planning form
    2. Transcripts from ALL COLLEGES ATTENDED.
    3. Letters of recommendation from two mathematics or mathematics methods teachers, high school or college. These letters must state the capacity in which the writer knew the applicant and address their potential as a mathematics teacher.
    4. Some verification of the applicant's enrollment in a teacher education program (e.g. letter from advisor, copy of registration materials, notation on transcript etc.)

Applications will be scored by a committee of readers using the following evaluation rubric:

  • Application information = 5 points (completeness, GPA, clarity)
  • Activities = 10 points (how strongly are the work/leadership/extracurricular activities from your college years connected to mathematics and/or teaching?)
  • Essay #1 = 10 points (writing quality, anticipated contribution to teaching mathematics, enthusiasm for teaching and mathematics)
  • Essay #2 = 10 points (writing quality, degree to which the question selected is answered, quality of the answer to the selected prompt)
  •  Lesson Planning Form = 15 points (clarity and appropriateness of objectives/goals, level of student engagement opportunities, methods of evaluating student understanding, clarity of flow of lesson which includes introduction and closure)

 Applications are due by May 9, 2024. 

You may download and complete the 2023-2024 fillable PDF version of the application hereCompleted applications need to be submitted by May 9, 2024. Winners will be contacted in September 2023.  Questions regarding the application process may be directed to Ms. Shelly Murphy at [email protected]. Once you've gathered all of the materials listed in item 5 above, submit your documents in our online portal.

 

The 2023 Scholarship Awardees:

 

 

Canyon Novick - University of St. Francis

Canyon Novick graduated from Oak Forest High School in Spring 2020. Graduating at the outset of the pandemic, he attended Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, OH where he was ever-so-briefly a double major in Theatre and Political Science. With a passion for humanity, this was the path that made the most sense, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a way to do more. After all, no need to pretend to live life when you can go out and really make a difference. Since transferring back home to Illinois, he has been having the adventure of a lifetime earning his B.S. in Mathematics and his M.Ed. in Education. While attending the University of St. Francis in Joliet, IL he has participated in multiple performing arts programs, worked year-round as a special education paraprofessional, and conducted original undergraduate research through the Intercollegiate Biomathematics Alliance (IBA). This year, he will be engaged in a full-year student teaching experience at Amos Alonzo Stagg High School where he is finally getting to put his college education to the test. He is excited to see what the future holds for himself and his students, and he hopes he can use any extra free time to practice rock climbing, go on hikes, and devour as many books as possible.

 

 

Katrina Schideman - University of Illinois

Katrina is a student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, graduating in May 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a minor in secondary education. Additionally, she plans to get a certification to teach in the middle grades and complete her master’s degree in the teaching of mathematics in May 2025. She discovered her love for teaching in high school as she gave piano lessons, tutored friends and family, and worked as a student TA in an algebra class. Currently, beyond the time she spends in local schools as part of her coursework, she keeps busy as a mentor by working as a resident assistant, piano instructor, and TA for the University of Illinois NetMath ALEKS based courses. She enjoys being a part of the UIUC Campus Honors Program and is grateful for the recognition and support she has received through various scholarship awards. One of the most rewarding aspects of teaching is when a student understands something for the first time, and she can witness their excitement and pride. As a high school math teacher, she looks forward to encouraging kids to realize that everyone can discover their own unique path to success in math.

 

 

Michael Severino - Illinois State University

Michael is a student at Illinois State University who will be graduating in May 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics teacher education. He has served as an undergraduate mathematics teaching assistant, tutored for statistics classes, and even conducted mathematics research virtually with other undergraduate students across the nation. This past summer, he had the opportunity to work at Ivy Collegiate Academy, a high school in Taiwan, where he taught three mathematics classes on his own. This year, he will be participating in a full-year student teaching experience at one of ISU’s lab schools, University High School. Besides focusing on mathematics education, Michael has also made it a priority to learn about how to adapt his teaching practices for diverse learners. He has three minors in Civic Engagement & Responsibility, Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies, and Political Science. He served as the inaugural undergraduate fellow for the Center for Civic Engagement which allowed him to present at national conferences and receive publication for one of his articles. In his free time, Michael is incredibly involved within the a cappella community. He has served as the music director for one of the groups at ISU and also volunteers for several companies to help produce competitions and festivals across the nation.