This NSF IUSE: EDU project aims to serve the national need for a globally competitive STEM workforce by preparing undergraduate STEM education students to more effectively teach all K-12 students. The project will support future teachers by offering experiential learning through virtual reality artificial intelligence simulations and scaffolded peer teaching. These innovative teaching experiences are designed to help future educators develop the skills needed to facilitate discussions of scientifically relevant real-world problems. Through this work, the project aims to prepare undergraduate STEM education students to effectively teach science in K–12 schools to support all STEM learners in solving real-world problems. This project includes partners at the University of West Florida, Southern Methodist University, Texas A&M University, Kennesaw State University, and Drake University. Together, these institutions will investigate how undergraduate STEM education students can be effectively prepared to facilitate discussions of scientifically relevant real-world problems. Project goals include developing and comparing two instructional practice modalities - virtual reality artificial intelligence avatar simulations and scaffolded peer teaching - and evaluating their impact on approximately 250 undergraduate STEM education students across the five institutions. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study will collect data through rubric-based evaluations of teaching performanc