Catawba College made application and has been selected to be one of 18 institutions across the State of North Carolina to offer a N.C. Teaching Fellows program within its nationally accredited Teacher Education Department. The announcement was made today by the N.C. Teaching Fellows Commission.
Catawba College will be one of six private institutions in the program while the other 12 institutions are in the public university system. According to N.C. Teaching Fellows Commission Chair John Denning, "The Commission looks forward to seeing Catawba College provide creative and innovative experiences that will expand the traditional horizons for their students."
The first cohort of Catawba's N.C. Teaching Fellows will begin the program with the advent of the 2009-2010 academic year and all who participate in this program will have an obligation to teach in the public schools of North Carolina for four years after graduation. Those North Carolina Teaching Fellows who choose to attend Catawba College will join a program that emphasizes quality preparation of students committed to careers as teaching professionals. Students in this program may pursue certifications in fields of study including middle and secondary language arts, history, mathematics, science, music, physical education and elementary education.
The North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program was an ambitious teacher recruitment program enacted by the state general assembly in 1986. Its mission was to recruit talented high school graduates into the teaching profession. It was one of the components in a 10-point teacher recruitment proposal developed by the nonprofit Public School Forum.
Last academic year, 500 N.C. Teaching Fellows scholarships were awarded to students attending institutions offering the program. The average profile of a Teaching Fellow includes an SAT score over 1100, a high school GPA of 4.0 or more on a weighted scale, and a rank in the top 10% of his/her high school graduating class. In keeping with the goal to recruit males and minorities, each year approximately 20% of the program's recipients are minority, while 30% are male.
This program is available only to North Carolina residents who apply and are selected as N.C. Teaching Fellows. Selected students then choose to attend one the 18 institutions which offer the program. For more information on the N.C. Teaching Fellows program, visit www.teachingfellows.org.
Catawba's N.C. Teaching Fellows will enjoy:
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- A full tuition award including the state tuition grants, financial need assistance, academic scholarships and work study ;
- An exciting, supportive learning community of peers, business and community leaders, and faculty ;
- Participation in leadership seminars, community service, and scholarly researched presentations ;
- Attendance at professional conferences ;
- Early field experiences beginning in the freshman year ;
- Regional travel opportunities and culturalEvents each year including Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and New York City ;
- Cultural excursion to Mexico ;
- Training in the integration of technology to enhance student learning; personal laptop program ;
- A wellness program ;
- Summer enrichment activities ;
- A nationally accredited Teacher Education Program ;
- A rich tradition of Teacher Education excellence since 1925 ;
- A strong history of employment after graduation ;
- Stipends for optional international study opportunities, such as a semester at Harlaxton College in England or a summer term in Costa Rica ;
- Professional development seminars featuring national speakers ;
- First-Year retreats ;
- A mentoring program
Academy for TeachingCatawba's N.C. Teaching Fellows will become Catawba's second scholarship program to be offered to students interested in pursuing careers in teaching. Catawba's West Scholars program, available to students from inside and outside N.C., was created in 2006 and the first 14 students who received these awards entered the institution in fall of 2007. Both scholarship programs are run under the auspices of the Ritchie Academy for Teaching in Catawba's Teacher Education Department and are directed by Dr. Cyndi Osterhus. Dr. Bonita Bloodworth serves as associate director of the Academy which focuses on equipping its participants with 21st Century teaching skills.
For more information on teacher education at Catawba College, including Catawba's N.C. Teaching Fellows, West Scholars or the Ritchie Academy for Teaching, contact Dr. Cyndi Osterhus at costerhu@catawba.edu or at (704) 637-4761.
RELATED CONTENT:
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- Catawba's N.C. Teaching Fellows ;
- Academy for Teaching ;
- West Teaching Scholars ;
- Teacher Education
