Catawba College has been selected to be one of 18 institutions across the state to offer an 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, ěThe Commission looks forward to seeing Catawba College provide creative and innovative experiences that will expand the traditional horizons for their students.î
The first group of Catawbaís N.C. Teaching Fellows will begin the program in the 2009-2010 academic year. All who participate in this program will have an obligation to teach in the public schools of North Carolina for four years after graduation.
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 N.C. Teaching Fellows Program is a teacher recruitment program enacted by the 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. The average profile of a Teaching Fellow includes an SAT score over 1,100, a high school GPA of 4.0 or more on a weighted scale, and a rank in the top 10 percent of his/her high school graduating class. In keeping with the goal to recruit males and minorities, each year approximately 20 percent of the programís recipients are minority, while 30 percent 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.
Catawbaís N.C. Teaching Fellows will receive:
A full tuition award including the state tuition grants, financial need assistance, academic scholarships and work study.
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 cultural events 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 .
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.
Freshman retreats.
A mentoring program.
Catawbaís N.C. Teaching Fellows will become the schoolís second scholarship program to be offered to students interested in pursuing careers in teaching.
Catawbaís 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 2007. Both scholarship programs are run under the auspices of the Ritchie Academy for Teaching in Catawbaís 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, contact Dr. Cyndi Osterhus at costerhu@catawba.edu or at 704-637-4761.