Voya Financial Supports Professional Development of STEM Educators with New Fellowship Program

NEW YORK, July 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA), today announced the launch of a national fellowship program for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) teachers, in partnership with the National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY). The announcement was made during NNSTOY's 2017 National Conference – presented by Voya – held this week in Washington, D.C. Hundreds of teachers, principals and school administrators gathered at the event to learn from one another about best practices, and to discuss challenges related to student success, teacher leadership, education policy and community relationships.

The Voya STEM Fellowship program is focused on ensuring that early-career STEM teachers remain in the field and are highly effective in the classroom by providing mentorship and guidance from educators who have been named State Teachers of the Year. Voya and NNSTOY have identified 15 State Teachers of the Year as Master STEM teachers because of their ability to transform the educational landscape, connect curriculum to real-world experiences and promote student engagement. These Master STEM teachers will be partnered with 15 high-potential first- or second-year teachers, and will act as mentors to these young educators – helping them achieve success in teaching STEM subjects and remain in the teaching profession.

"STEM education can unlock the doors to creativity in many children, but mastery of these subjects depends on teachers who are empowered to engage students and push the limits of innovation," said Angela D. Harrell, SVP, Corporate Responsibility, and President, Voya Foundation. "Voya's longstanding partnership with NNSTOY is the perfect launch pad for our first-ever Fellows program for educators, and we're excited to see the impact these teachers can have when provided with a platform to share their talents and strengths."

As part of the program, Voya's STEM Fellows and Master STEM Teachers will develop a framework to provide their mentees with the tools and support they need to transform their classroom and encourage students to consider careers in the STEM industry. This framework will be scalable and applied to future Voya Foundation programs in the K-12 STEM Teacher Training space, positioning the teachers as thought leaders in the field.

"To be successful in today's business environment, students must master a set of transferable skills that help them think outside the box and creatively solve problems," said Joseph Fatheree, Director of Strategic Projects for NNSTOY. "The Voya STEM program will bring together experienced educators and teaching students with fresh perspectives, and empower them to build a STEM education framework that sets up both students and teachers for long-term success in the future."

The National Network of State Teachers of the Year is a nonprofit organization committed to improving student learning across the U.S. by advocating for teacher engagement in policy and establishing new and necessary structures to transform the teaching profession, such as career advancement models. Its members are State and National Teachers of the Year and finalists.

As an industry leader and advocate for greater retirement readiness, Voya Financial is committed to delivering on its vision to be America's Retirement Company® and its mission to make a secure financial future possible — one person, one family, one institution at a time.

Media Contact:
Nicole Vasile
Voya Financial
Cell: (860) 839-1589
[email protected]                                

About Voya Financial^®
Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA), helps Americans plan, invest and protect their savings — to get ready to retire better. Serving the financial needs of approximately 13.6 million individual and institutional customers in the United States, Voya is a Fortune 500 company that had $11 billion in revenue in 2016. The company had $505 billion in total assets under management and administration as of March 31, 2017. With a clear mission to make a secure financial future possible — one person, one family, one institution at a time — Voya's vision is to be America's Retirement Company^®. Certified as a "Great Place to Work" by the Great Place to Work^® Institute, Voya is equally committed to conducting business in a way that is socially, environmentally, economically and ethically responsible and has been recognized as one of the 2017 World's Most Ethical Companies^® by the Ethisphere Institute, as well as one of the Top Green Companies in the U.S., by Newsweek magazine. For more information, visit voya.com. Follow Voya Financial on Facebook and Twitter @Voya.

SOURCE Voya Financial, Inc.

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