The U.S. Department of Education awarded Chico State University with an $8.5 million grant to support aspiring teachers in the area.
The funds will be used to establish the Belong, Engage, Support, Transform — abbreviated to BEST — teacher residency program.
The goal of this program is to “place the next generation of educators in the region,” Public Relations Manager Andrew Staples said.
Over five years, a total of 60 candidates seeking either elementary teaching credentials or master’s of art degrees in teaching will be selected for the program and placed in teacher residencies.
“We are seeking candidates who are interested in the scholarly pursuit of a master’s degree in Teaching and learning more about social-emotional learning, trauma-informed teaching practices and healing-centered engagement,” Professor Claudia Bertolone Smith — who helped draft and submit the grant — stated.
Those selected for the program will be given a living stipend of about $50,000 each to support themselves during their year of residency in high-need schools in Northern California.
According to Bertolone-Smith, the school districts where students will be placed are chosen based on these factors:
- Poverty and rural area
- High teacher need
- High-need school (which is determined by free-reduced lunch)
This includes rural districts in Palermo, Thermalito, Los Molinos and Corning.
There will also be an emphasis on selecting candidates from under-represented groups.
“We hope to include those who live in our rural service areas, males, students of color and paraprofessionals in local schools who cannot leave their positions for financial reasons to attend a credential program,” Bertolone-Smith stated.
Applications will open in January 2025 and are due March 1. The first group of candidates is planned to be placed the following summer.
The program will continue over the next five years with the goal of placing a total of 60 candidates by the end.
Anthony Vasek can be reached at [email protected] and [email protected].
