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Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellowship to Expand

FOR RELEASE: May 17, 2011

CONTACT: Holly Hollingsworth | Deputy Director of Communications, Ohio Board of Regents | (202) 884-7351
Beverly Sanford | Vice President for Communications, Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation | (609) 452-7007 x. 181

Note: Prospective applicants should call 609-452-7007 x. 141 or email [email protected].

WOODROW WILSON OHIO TEACHING FELLOWSHIP TO EXPAND

Program Names First-Ever Class of Ohio Fellows; Scientists, Engineers, Top Grads to Teach in State’s High-Need Schools

COLUMBUS, Ohio—Chancellor Jim Petro announced today at the Ohio Statehouse that the Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellowship will expand from four to seven university campuses in Ohio in the coming year. Petro also welcomed members of the program’s inaugural class. These Fellows—from cities all around Ohio—have been accepted into the program as high-quality math and science teacher candidates for high-need Ohio schools.

Universities joining the Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellowship are Ohio University, the University of Dayton, and the University of Toledo. Each will participate in the 2011-12 recruitment cycle, announcing their first classes of Fellows in spring 2012. These universities join four others already involved in the program: John Carroll University, the Ohio State University, the University of Akron and the University of Cincinnati. A map of the Ohio universities participating in the program can be found at www.uso.edu/woodrow2011.

The Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellowship recruits accomplished career changers and outstanding recent college graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (the STEM fields) who will prepare for math and science teaching positions in the state’s urban and rural schools. For a factsheet on the Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellowship, visit www.uso.edu/woodrow2011.

“The universities participating in this program realize that invigorating our teacher education programs will help our state to invigorate the way we educate our children in these STEM subject areas,” said Chancellor Petro. “The U.S. labor market is projected to grow faster in science and engineering than any other sector in the coming years. The University System of Ohio eagerly anticipates the difference these new educators will make in focusing more Ohio children on STEM degree pathways, and ultimately, careers in these vibrant sectors.”

Each of the 65 Fellows in the 2011 class will receive a $30,000 stipend to complete a special intensive master’s program at John Carroll University, the University of Akron or the University of Cincinnati. The Ohio State University will host its first Fellows in 2012. The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation of Princeton, N.J. administers the program. Find more information about the Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellowship at www.wwteachingfellowship.org/ohio.

The announcement of Fellows comes at the conclusion of a rigorous year-long application and selection process. The new Fellows, whose master’s work is beginning this month, will be ready to teach students in fall 2012. To view profiles and hometowns of the Fellows in the 2011 class, visit www.uso.edu/woodrow2011.

“These Fellows are extraordinary people who bring real science and math expertise to the kids who most need strong teachers,” said Arthur Levine, Woodrow Wilson Foundation president. “They are patented inventors and biomedical engineers and statisticians, some in midcareer, others just graduating at the top of their classes. Many come from the same high-need backgrounds as the students they will teach. They’re going to prepare in real classrooms, they’re going to change the face of teaching, and they’re going to change tens of thousands of lives.”

Partner universities in the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowships have redesigned teacher preparation to prepare teachers in local classrooms, the way physicians learn in hospitals and attorneys in law offices. Programs also emphasize specific teaching approaches for the STEM fields. After a year of classroom-based preparation, Fellows commit to teach for at least three years in a high-need Ohio school, with ongoing support and mentoring.

The program is made possible with federal Race to the Top funds as well as commitments from six Ohio funders, including The Cleveland Foundation, George Gund Foundation, Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, GAR Foundation, Battelle Memorial Institute and The Battelle Fund at the Columbus Foundation, plus matching funds provided by the campuses. Additional support for the program came from the state’s Choose Ohio First program.

Ohio launched its Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship in March 2010, joining Indiana and Michigan as host states for the program. In each state, a blend of private and public support has been key to the creation of the program, as have gubernatorial leadership and statewide coalition-building. Four to five additional states are in discussion with the Woodrow Wilson Foundation about creating their own programs, said Levine.

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The University System of Ohio is one of the largest comprehensive public systems of higher education in the nation, offering options for every student, from GEDs to Ph.D.s. Consisting of 14 universities, 24 university branch campuses, 23 community colleges and over 120 adult education program sites, the University System of Ohio ensures that all Ohioans have access to a high-quality, affordable higher education within 30 miles of their home.

Founded in 1945, the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation identifies and develops leaders and institutions to address the critical challenges in education. It supports its Fellows as the next generation of leaders shaping American institutions, and also supports innovation in the institutions they will lead.


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