Donors Support 22 STaR Fellows Building on National Science Foundation Legacy

Thanks to the generous support of AMTE members, sponsors, and partner organizations, a full cohort of 22 early-career mathematics education faculty will participate in the 2026 STaR Summer Institute, held June 13-18 in Park City, Utah. 

As NSF Funding has been cut for several of our members, we want to remind our audience of the long-lasting effects and impact of funding through the National Science Foundation. The STaR Program began in 2009 under the leadership on Barbara and Robert Reys and was originally funded by the National Science Foundation (#0922410) with Margret Hjalmarson as program manager. The original grant funded six cohorts of fellows, 210 early career mathematics educators across 144 institutions, representing 42 states (2010-2015). Since then, there have been 10 additional cohorts (including online and hybrid cohorts due to COVID disruptions). STaR is now operated under the supervision of the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE) and is dependent on contributions from individuals, foundations, and professional organizations. 

The five-day Summer Institute is the centerpiece of the AMTE STaR Program, which provides early-career faculty with development in the areas of service, teaching, research, and leadership. Fellows connect with peers from across the country and build relationships with senior and mid-career mentors, forming a strong professional network. STaR fellows have maintained writing groups, co-authored journal articles and grants, and provide service to the organization. STaR fellows also network and collaborate with colleagues who have not participated in STaR and bring them into an expanding network of mathematics teacher educators and researchers working to fulfill AMTE’s mission. Applications for the 2027 STaR Cohort will open in the fall.

The 2026 STaR Program Committee is led by Anthony Fernandes (University of North Carolina Charlotte), AMTE Associate Vice-President for the STaR Fellows Program. For questions about donations or sponsoring a fellow, please contact Susan Cannon (University of Georgia) at cannonso@uga.edu.

Continued opportunities of fellowship and professional development for early career mathematics education faculty through the AMTE STaR Program are dependent on annual and sustained contributions from individuals, foundations, and professional organizations. Consider making a contribution today for the 2027 STaR Cohort. Your giving directly impacts the number of STaR Fellows who can be supported in the program each year.