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 2025-2026 scholarship, a student must:

  1. Be enrolled as a junior or senior in an accredited university or college in Illinois during Spring 2026 with a graduation date of May 2026 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 is answered, quality of the answer to the 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 8, 2026. 

You may download and complete the 2025-2026 fillable PDF version of the application here.  Completed applications need to be submitted by May 8, 2026.  Questions regarding the application process may be directed to [email protected]. Once you've gathered all of the materials listed in item 5 above, submit your documents in our online portal.

 

The 2025 Scholarship Awardees:

 

 Vianne Taft Photo

 

Vianne Taft - Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Vianne Taft, from Springfield, IL, is a senior at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, majoring in Elementary Education with a minor in Child and Family Services. She will complete her student teaching in a 3rd grade classroom at Farmingdale Elementary School in spring 2026 and graduate that May.

Vianne has wanted to be a teacher since first grade and is passionate about making a difference in students’ lives. She has worked with children through babysitting, summer camps for low-income families, and volunteering with The Restore Network, while also completing clinical hours in 3rd–5th grade classrooms. On campus, she serves as a Resident Assistant, a student worker in the Morris Library, and an officer in the Elementary Education Student Organization.

Vianne was honored to receive this scholarship and attend the ICTM Conference in 2025, where she gained new strategies for teaching mathematics. She is eager to bring her dedication, compassion, and enthusiasm into her future classroom.

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 Jane Pak

Jane Pak - University of Illinois

Jane Pak is a first year Master’s student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the Teaching of Math program. She graduated from UIUC in May of 2025 studying Mathematics and English, as well as a minor in secondary education.

Jane has taught a variety of classes, from Algebra 1A to AP Calculus, as well as calculus at the university level. On campus, she is a TA for Calculus I and a research assistant for an NSF project on human-centered design in high school geometry. She is passionate about math education at all levels and is interested in making it more accessible to everyone. Off campus, she works for an educational non-profit that works to make national security education and career paths more accessible to young women, girls, and gender minorities.

In her free time, she likes to read, spend time with her friends and sister, play board games, and walk/hike outside. Jane is very honored to receive this scholarship and looks forward to learning from the ICTM community!