Grambling State University News September 23, 2011 USDOE Announces $3.1 Million Dollar Grant Award to GSU GRAMBLING, LA - The U.S. Department of Education announced on Thursday that it has awarded Grambling State University a grant in the amount of $3.1 million over a five year period. The grant is received under the "Transition to Teaching Program." According to USDOE, "The program supports efforts to recruit mid-career professionals and recent graduates with degrees outside of education and then help these recruits become teachers through alternative certification routes. The program also emphasizes placing teachers in high-need schools. Teacher candidates supported by the project are required to teach in high-need schools for at least three years." Dr. Carolyn Jackson, Grant PI & Project Director states, "the proposal was submitted in May of this year and I was absolutely ecstatic when I got the news. With this award, we will be able to recruit, train and retain recent college graduates and mid-career changers as teachers of record in our state's high-needs and rural school districts. GSU already has a post baccalaureate, certification-only program called Teach GSU. With this grant we will expand that initiative through the development of a Master's degree program, the Alternative Teacher Certification Project (ATCP). The ATCP will allow eligible participants to receive full, state, teacher certification AND a Master's of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree within approximately 16 months. A major focus of our project will be the recruitment of individuals who have an undergraduate degree in a STEM discipline. I am excited and ready for the challenge and task." The "Transition to Teaching Program" will help address teacher shortages in STEM content areas through the recruitment, training and placement of teacher interns. In addition, the project aims to provide opportunities for job embedded training, on-site mentoring and induction activities to increase teacher retention. "Under this program participants are eligible to receive a stipend of up to $5,000 through the grant," says Dr. Jackson. Dr. Wynetta Lee, Dean of the College of Education at GSU states, "We are so proud of the vision, creativity and determined effort that Dr. Jackson put forth in developing this grant proposal. It is no surprise to me that the project was funded because Dr. Jackson wrote an excellent grant. The ability to earn both certification and a graduate degree will likely increase our enrollment in graduate education at GSU and will eventually have a positive effect on supplying highly qualified teachers in high-needs schools." Grambling State University is one of 30 grantees from across the country to be awarded the Transition to Teaching Program grant. In addition, Grambling is one of two institutions in the State of Louisiana and the only HBCU to receive the award this year. For additional information on this grant and other Grambling State University College of Education programs contact Dr. Wynetta Lee, Dean of the College of Education at 318-274-2231 or www.gram.edu/academics/majors/education/. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Program Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 404.592.4820 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.