Warner Pacific University has been awarded a $3 million federal grant through the Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) to expand STEM education, prepare future STEM teachers, modernize science facilities, and strengthen student success.
The five-year project, “Pathways to STEM Teaching: Strengthening Warner Pacific University,” is being awarded through the U.S. Department of Labor, with the Office of Postsecondary Education serving as the program office. The award supports Warner Pacific’s efforts to strengthen institutional capacity while expanding career pathways and workforce readiness.
“This grant reflects what is possible when a community comes together around a shared mission,” said Dr. Christina Schnyders, President of Warner Pacific University. “As a Christ-centered university committed to serving our city and region, we have an incredible opportunity to expand access to STEM education, develop future educators, and create lasting impact for students, schools, and communities across Oregon.”
Through the grant, Warner Pacific will have the opportunity to develop a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education with STEM teaching endorsements, pending required Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) and Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC) approvals. Planned endorsement pathways include Health Science, Integrated Science, Chemistry, Physics, Foundational Mathematics, and Advanced Mathematics. The University will also have the opportunity to embed STEM teaching endorsements into existing high-enrollment academic programs and develop accelerated, hybrid, and flexible course-delivery formats to better serve working learners and future educators.
“This federal grant is a tremendous affirmation of our mission and our commitment to providing accessible, high-quality educational opportunities that equip students to serve and lead in our local community,” said Dr. Latrissa Lee Neiworth, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer at Warner Pacific University. “The five-year grant will enable WPU to strengthen our STEM and teacher education offerings while helping address critical workforce needs across Oregon.”
The grant will also provide opportunities for significant investments in Warner Pacific’s STEM learning environments, including the renovation and modernization of five STEM teaching and research laboratories. Investments will include instructional technology, scientific equipment, reagents, sensors, and field science materials, along with the establishment of a dedicated STEM teaching and secondary education methods laboratory.
Student-success initiatives supported through the project will include enhanced advising, guided academic pathways, early alert systems, and faculty development. Warner Pacific will also work to strengthen the region’s K–12-to-college STEM pipeline through a Summer STEM Academy, dual-credit opportunities, transfer partnerships, and an Urban STEM Studies Hub.
By the fifth year of the project, Warner Pacific expects the initiative to contribute to increased enrollment, improved student retention and graduation outcomes, expanded STEM pathways, and a new generation of qualified STEM educators prepared to serve Oregon schools. The initiative is also intended to help reduce school districts’ reliance on emergency-licensed STEM teachers while strengthening the University’s long-term institutional sustainability.
The project brings together Warner Pacific with educational and community partners across the region, including Portland Public Schools, David Douglas School District, Reynolds School District, Portland Community College, Mt. Hood Community College, Clackamas Community College, Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon State University, and the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. Together, the partners will work to create new opportunities for students while addressing educational and workforce needs throughout the region.