A year-long program developed by a team at Indiana University of Pennsylvania to recruit and retain talented teachers was selected for recognition by PA Needs Teachers in its Solutions Playbook, published recently by Teach Plus Pennsylvania and the National Center on Education and the Economy.
IUP’s Community and Representation (CoRe) pilot program, a mentorship program designed for IUP teacher-candidate students from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds, was highlighted as a “promising practice” in the state-wide report.
The program was developed and conducted by Assistant Director of Multicultural Affairs and Student Success Leslie Coates; IUP Department of Professional Studies in Education Professor and Assistant Department Chair Kalani Palmer; Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs and Educator Preparation in the College of Education and Human Services Nicole Rice; and Professor of English and English Education Program Coordinator in the Department of Language, Literature, and Writing Emily Wender. It was funded by an IUP strategic plan mini-grant, awarded by the Office of the President and the Council of Chairs.
The program paired six teacher-candidate students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups enrolled in IUP education programs with practicing educators—five of them IUP alumni—who also are from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.
“It’s very gratifying to have this program recognized by respected state organizations that are committed to excellence in teaching,” IUP Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Lara Luetkehans said.
“This program offered important ways for our students to engage with and learn from successful alumni while creating new connections across university divisions and offices,” she said.
“It puts into practice our ongoing work to break down silos and become more student-centered, reflecting several of the goals and principles of the IUP Strategic Plan, which calls us to provide a wide range of intellectual and professional opportunities for students that will assist them in developing their potential for becoming productive and responsible citizens; to construct an environment of respect that encourages the growth of diversity, equity, and inclusion; and to improve communication, collaboration, and engagement across the university, and with our alumni and community partners,” Provost Luetkehans said.
The teacher-candidates and mentors held monthly meetings to discuss various topics relevant to the education profession. Meetings had a distinct focus and activity related to teacher preparation, including informational interviews, goal setting, partnering with families, addressing bias, and relationships with colleagues and administrators.
The grant provided financial support to both the teacher-candidate students and the mentors. In addition, the IUP Alumni Association donated gifts to the alumni mentors in recognition of the support the alumni provided to the students.
IUP’s College of Education and Human Services promoted mentors and mentees on its social media accounts, celebrating their successes and commitment to the program. Two in-person events were held, one for the students only and one for mentors and students, hosted by the IUP Center for Multicultural Student Leadership and Engagement and by the College of Education and Human Services.
Marveta Ryan-Sams, associate professor of Foreign Languages and Pan African Studies program coordinator in the Department of Language, Literature, and Writing, joined the CoRe team for the in-person meeting with students to discuss resources available and to offer her support. These meetings brought mentors to campus, connected students with supportive faculty and staff, and connected students with the Center for Multicultural Student Leadership and Engagement and their programming.
“The program was designed to foster connections between the students and mentors, while providing a platform for mentees to share questions and goals and for mentors to offer valuable wisdom and experiences,” Wender said.
“We believe that the connections made through this program will be instrumental in bridging the gap between potential and success for our IUP teacher candidates. We deeply value these future educators and are committed to investing in their growth. We recognize that these future teachers will play a pivotal role in ensuring that all PK-12 students have a supportive and enriched educational experience,” Palmer said.
“By leveraging the IUP alumni network and our professional connections, we identified accomplished, patient, and caring mentors. These mentors are dedicated to increasing, preparing, and retaining racially and ethnically diverse teachers in Pennsylvania,” Palmer said.
“We see this partnership with alumni and the community as a potential bridge to other collaborations that further IUP’s engagement with diversity, equity, and inclusion in western Pennsylvania and beyond,” Wender said.
Of the six students initially involved in the program, four of the students are continuing in IUP’s teacher education program; two are completing studies at IUP in other majors. One of the mentors hosted an IUP student as a student-teacher for the first time through connections made in the program, and two other mentors became actively involved in their professional development organization’s initiative to sponsor more educators from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.
PA Needs Teachers is a statewide coalition of organizations and individuals united behind the need to support teachers and school staff, providing Pennsylvania’s children with an education that ensures their future success and the success of the commonwealth. PA Needs Teachers is led by Teach Plus Pennsylvania and the National Center on Education and the Economy.
IUP’s teacher education program includes more than 1,000 education majors and graduates more than 160 teacher candidates annually.