FOR RELEASE:   January 13, 2012

CONTACT:
Andrea Beale | Communications Assistant | (609) 452-7007 x187
Nate Thomas | Program Associate | (609) 452-7007 x161

FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES $30K AWARDS FOR ASPIRING TEACHERS OF COLOR IN 2012 WOODROW WILSON-ROCKEFELLER BROTHERS FUND FELLOWSHIPS

Third round of program offers teacher preparation, support, mentoring

PRINCETON, NJ—The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation has announced the selection of its third cohort of Woodrow Wilson-Rockefeller Brothers Fund (WW-RBF) Aspiring Teachers of Color.

Chosen through a competitive selection process, the 25 WW-RBF Fellows will each receive a $30,000 stipend to complete a master’s degree in education, preparation to teach in a high-need public school, support throughout a three-year teaching commitment, and guidance toward teaching certification. Each Fellow was nominated by one of the program’s 48 nominating institutions and 29 graduate education programs.

The Fellows, a number of whom understand first-hand the educational challenges students face in high-need schools, are deeply committed to teaching, and to creating opportunities for young people. Calling the WW-RBF program an opportunity to “live out my passion for teaching every day,” 2012 Fellow Jeannette Jackson of New York City said, “Good teaching is as much about passion as it is about reason. It’s about not only motivating students to learn, but teaching them how to learn, and doing so in a manner that is relevant, meaningful, and memorable.” (See full list of Fellows.)

Established in 1992 by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Fellowships for Aspiring Teachers of Color were created to help recruit, support, and retain individuals of color as public education teachers and administrators. Since the program’s inception, it has awarded nearly $8 million in grants and financial assistance to 400 Fellows. In January 2009, RBF transferred the program to the Woodrow Wilson Foundation following a national review of potential host organizations.

“The Foundation is pleased to add this impressive group of young and promising teachers to its national network of outstanding teachers and scholars,” said Bill Dandridge, program officer and director of the WW-RBF Fellowships for Aspiring Teachers of Color. “Their desire to serve children in the nation’s most challenging schools and communities is an important reason to be hopeful about the future of our public schools.”

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The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation identifies and develops the best minds for the nation’s most important challenges. In these areas of challenge, the Foundation awards fellowships to enrich human resources, works to improve public policy, and assists organizations and institutions in enhancing practice in the U.S. and abroad.

Founded in 1940, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund encourages social change that contributes to a more just sustainable, and peaceful world. The RBF’s grantmaking is organized around three themes: Democratic Practice, Sustainable Development, and Peace and Security, and three pivotal places: New York City, Western Balkans, and Southern China.

 

Nanor Balabanian   •   University of California, Santa Barbara

Oliver Benders   •   Montclair State University

Christell Boyd-Abner   •   University of Pittsburgh

Shanée Brown   •   Dartmouth College

Nicole Caldwell   •   The City College of New York

Donna Chung   •   Brown University

Gabriella Corales   •   Texas State University

Jessica Correa   •   Pomona College

Dustin Dacuan   •   University of Washington

Hillary Higgs   •   Williams College

Ogechi Irondi   •   Swarthmore College

Jeannette Jackson   •   The City College of New York

Deborah Loperena   •   California State University, Northridge

Cynthia Ma   •   University of California – Los Angeles

Allyson Miller   •   University of California – Santa Barbara

Olufemi “Shane” Ogunnaike   •   Swarthmore College

Jamilah Pitts   •   Spelman College

Pamela Otunnu Porensky   •   University of Southern Maine

Lisa Sullivan   •   University of Arizona

Lindsey Todd   •   University of Pennsylvania

Madelyn Troiano   •   Lewis & Clark College

Kamilah Welch   •   Wellesley College

Randyl Wilkerson   •   Wesleyan University

Nastassia Williams   •   Wesleyan University

Taylor Williams   •   Morehouse College

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