David Vallett and Hasan Deniz (both Teaching and Learning) received $315,000 in funding from the Nevada Department of Education Mathematics and Science Partnership 2016-17 grant program entitled:  "Moving All Nevada Teachers through Awareness of the Nevada Academic Content Standards for Science (NVACSS) (MANTA)".  Leadership Team:  Kristoffer Carroll, Bret Sibley, Connie Thomson, Lou Loftin, and Brian Crosby (Regional Professional Development Program (RPDP); David Crowther (UNR); Sheryl Colgan and Loretta Asay (CCSD).

Led by UNLV, and partnered with UNR, CCSD, and the RPDPs statewide, MANTA is a multi-institutional project in science education with the primary goal of raising awareness and familiarity with the NVACSS statewide through the development of a cadre of teacher leaders, who will then develop and present workshops to teachers in their districts and regions. The 96-person teacher leader cadre will complete a 50-hour institute on the NVACSS and peer leadership delivered by higher education faculty and teacher educators from across the state. Through a partnership with Public Consulting Group, all science teachers statewide will participate in Pepper, an online module outlining the NVACSS. Additionally, Nevada science teachers will have the opportunity to take part in up to 20 hours of teacher leader-delivered workshops along either an awareness or implementation track, depending on their level of experience with the NVACSS.