Welcome to the ACE-STEM Project!
ACE-STEM is a National Professional Development (NPD) Grant Project funded by the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA), U.S. Department of Education (Fall 2021 – Summer 2026). ACE-STEM aims to support the education of English learners by providing quality professional development for English Learner (EL) educators.
In partnership with Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS), George Mason University’s ACE-STEM Project Team will provide a rigorous, evidence-based, and innovative PD program to enhance participating teachers’ content-integrated instruction with a focus on STEM. PWCS is the second largest school district in the Commonwealth of Virginia with increasingly diverse EL populations.
Throughout the 5-year project, ACE-STEM will serve 60 PWCS teachers in K-8 classrooms to build competence as educators with strong knowledge and expertise in designing instruction that promotes deep content learning and language and literacy development simultaneously. Additionally, extensive engagement opportunities using innovative digital education tools will build PWCS teachers’ capacity for teaching with technology. Professional learning opportunities and family engagement events will be planned as an overarching approach to ensure an integrative and cohesive continuum model of equitable EL education that is in alignment with culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogies.