Source: EdSource
California State University Dominguez Hills has been awarded almost $1.6 million as part of a U.S. Department of Education program to increase the number of high-quality teacher preparation programs for teachers of color, strengthen the diversity of the teacher pipeline and address the teacher shortage.
The university was one of 12 nationwide to share $18.7 million in awards as part of the new Augustus F. Hawkins Centers for Excellence Program.
The program was created in 2008, but this is the first year it has been funded, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The grants support teacher preparation programs at universities that serve minority populations, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions.
“Today, more than half of our learners nationwide are students of color, and yet fewer than 1 in 5 educators come from communities of color,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “I’ll never forget the impact that my first teacher of color had on me as a student, and my experience tracks closely with years of research suggesting the profound, positive influence that educators of color have on students of all backgrounds.”
