February 22, 2008

LIVINGSTON, Ala.--The University of West Alabama's Julia S. Tutwiler College of Education recently received a $120,000 grant from the Daniel Foundation of Alabama in support of the University’s Partnership Schools Program.  The gift will fund three, full $40,000 scholarships for secondary education students with math or science concentrations. In return, the students must teach one of these in-demand subjects in one of UWA’s 25 partnering school systems for at least three years following graduation.
 

Through the College of Education’s Partnership Schools Program, students and faculty provide support to the school systems, located mostly in the Black Belt region, in the areas of tutorial programs, student in-service programs, faculty professional development and remedial courses. Every education faculty member must spend a minimum of 20 hours each year working with partnership schools to improve their curriculum and quality of education.
 

“The College of Education works closely with our partnership schools to help meet their needs through professional development, supplies and training teacher candidates,” said Dean Martha Hocutt. “We are so very pleased the Daniel Foundation donated these funds to provide scholarships to help our partnership schools fill teaching positions in the critical need areas of mathematics and science.”
 

The new scholarship program will begin in the fall semester by awarding three incoming freshmen. By 2012, these scholarship recipients will begin their three-year service as math and science teachers, with the partnership schools gaining quality teachers in these much-needed areas and the graduates enjoying immediate employment.