The U.S. Department of Education awarded $7.5 million to Georgia State’s College of Education to support its Transformation in Education program (CREST-Ed), according to the Daily Journal.
CREST-Ed is designed to increase the number of educators teaching core subjects in high poverty urban and rural areas, according to the Daily Journal.
The College of Education will partner with Albany State University, Columbus State university and nine other county schools to recruit and train up to 300 students interested in becoming science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) educators, according to the Daily Journal.
Gwendolyn Benson, associate dean of the College of Education, said that Georgia State was one of 24 institutions nationwide to receive the funding through the U.S. Department of Education’s Teacher Quality Partnership grant competition.
Teacher residencies are crucial for prospective educators, according to Benson.
“Teacher residencies that place students in classrooms for the entire academic year are a key component of preparing teachers for the demands they’ll face when they have graduated and found jobs at high-need schools,” she said.
She also said the College of Education and its partners are aiming to encourage relationships between CREST-Ed graduates and mentor teachers by offering professional development sessions and providing support as they find their place in classrooms.
“We want to stay connected with them and keep them excited about teaching,” Benson said. “If they have strong support, they’re more likely to enjoy what they do and continue teaching.”
