A growing program at the University of Colorado at Boulder is working to combat what many experts call a looming crisis brought on by a shrinking pool of new K-12 science teachers. Known as the Colorado Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics Learning Assistant project, its goal is to improve introductory math and science classes at ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ-Boulder and to recruit and train future K-12 science teachers, according to Valerie Otero, director of the program and an assistant professor in ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ-Boulder's School of Education.