Bard College Receives Teacher Opportunity Corps Grant from State Education Department to Help Build a More Diverse Teacher Workforce
Bard MAT alum Xhosa Frazier ’10 teaching a group of high school visitors from area districts.
Bard College’s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program recently received a $325,000 New York State Education Department Teacher Opportunity Corps II (TOC II) grant. This grant will support Bard’s efforts to increase the participation rate of historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged individuals in teaching careers. Funds will be used to strengthen Bard’s TOC II recruitment program, teacher preparation and mentoring, and teacher retention. The project will be led by Bard’s Master of Arts in Teaching Program, in collaboration with Ramapo for Children, Hudson City Schools, and Kingston City Schools.
Bard’s current TOC II program provides candidates with funding for tuition and supplies and offers substantial academic and social-emotional support throughout the candidates’ practicum and first year of teaching. The Bard MAT curriculum emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion through professional development in restorative practices led by Ramapo for Children and Bard’s Office of the Dean of Inclusive Excellence, as well as through specially designed courses taught by MAT faculty. The program also offers a yearlong, mentored series of hands-on experiences in partner schools, an internship, and monthly meetings led by Ramapo Alternative Classroom experts.
Bard was one of 17 New York colleges and universities to receive a My Brother’s Keeper Grant for Teacher Opportunity Corps II from the State Education Department. The project period spans five years and Bard will receive $65,000 annually through 2026.
Read the official NYSED press release HERE.
About Bard Master of Arts in Teaching
The Bard MAT is an intensive graduate teacher education program leading to a discipline-based master of arts in teaching degree and New York State Initial Teacher Certification in one of five subjects: biology, history, literature, mathematics, or Spanish. The Bard MAT responds to an urgent need for innovative education. This transformation requires teachers who can help secondary school students develop the thoughtful self-determination that builds from a genuine enthusiasm for learning. Learn more HERE.
About Teacher Opportunity Corps II
The purpose of Teacher Opportunity Corps II (TOC II) is to increase the rate of historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged individuals in teaching careers. TOC II programs incorporate strategies for teacher retention and best practice, such as mentors for new teachers and differentiated instructional techniques. Learn more HERE.
Post Date: 10-13-2021