Penn’s Graduate School of Education recently received $8.6M to prepare teachers. The funds, a combination of gifts and grants collected over the past year, include support for degree and certificate programs as well as student financial aid.
“At a time when other universities are backing away from their commitment to teacher education, Penn GSE is proud to be building and innovating around this crucial component of its mission,” says Dean Pam Grossman, who has raised over $23M during her tenure for cutting-edge K-12 education and research.
A main goal of the School’s Extraordinary Impact Campaign, enhanced scholarship and fellowship opportunities help GSE recruit a talented and diverse pool of prospective teachers. Programmatic funding supports innovation through initiatives such as the School’s Urban Teacher Apprenticeship Program (UTAP) and the newly created Project-Based Learning Certificate Program. It also facilitates sharing research results and best practices with teachers and researchers nationwide.
We are thrilled to see such strong momentum for Penn GSE’s efforts to continue shaping the future of teacher education and offer opportunity and access to the finest students regardless of their financial situations.”GSE Dean Pam Grossman
UTAP students prepare for careers as elementary, middle, or high school teachers through a combination of coursework, a year-long apprenticeship in a Philadelphia school, and professional mentoring. The ten-month program culminates in a master’s degree and teaching certification. In addition, the thirteen-month Project-Based Learning Certificate Program, designed for experienced teachers and educational leaders, provides professional development both in-person and online.
Both programs are part of the Collaboratory for Teacher Education at Penn GSE, which houses three distinctive master’s programs in teacher education and serves as a hub for learning and research in the field.
“We are thrilled to see such strong momentum for Penn GSE’s efforts to continue shaping the future of teacher education and offer opportunity and access to the finest students regardless of their financial situations,” says Penn GSE Dean Pam Grossman. “Teacher education programs have a critical role to play in diversifying the teaching workforce and in preparing educators for the classrooms of the future, which will rely increasingly on forms of content-rich active learning.”
Through Extraordinary Impact: The Campaign for Penn GSE, the School aims to raise $75 million to build state-of-the-art learning spaces; support research and innovative programming; and make a Penn GSE education more accessible through increased financial aid.
