MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University has been awarded a Collaborative Urban and Greater Minnesota Educators of Color Grant. Through the grant, Saint Mary’s will receive $187,926, which will be used primarily to fund tuition scholarships for a new cohort of diverse teacher licensure students at the university. The cohort, scheduled to begin in summer 2020, represents the second cohort of the community-engaged teacher pathway program developed in collaboration with The Sanneh Foundation’s Dreamline coaching program.
According to Shannon Tanghe, Ph.D., program director in the M.A. in English as a Second Language, these grants help Saint Mary’s prepare educators for a growing population of diverse students. “Promoting diversity in educators is also important, because research has shown that students benefit when teachers share their race or gender,” she said. “As we work to close the achievement gap in education, it’s crucial we support racially diverse teachers. Students of all racial backgrounds can benefit from a diverse teacher workforce that represents the nation’s overall demographics.”
These scholarships will benefit adult learners in the M.A. in English as a Second Language and Special Education programs.