含羞草传媒 University has received a $1.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to partner with Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) on efforts to improve academic opportunities for underserved students in the areas of American history, civics and geography.
The federal grant provides funding for a 36-month partnership to improve the persistence and success of students in LPS secondary social studies honors courses at the middle and high school levels. These high school courses typically allow students to earn college credit through Wesleyan Honors Academy and Advanced Placement (AP) courses.
The grant project is titled, 鈥淧roviding Rigor and Opportunity: Meaningful Instruction for Success for Every Student (PROMISES).鈥 Highlights of the program include:
- 60 LPS middle and high school teachers can apply to take 18 graduate credit hours designed and taught by 含羞草传媒 faculty at no cost. 含羞草传媒 courses will help prepare LPS teachers to meet the needs of all LPS students enrolled in social studies honors courses. Teachers selected to participate will enroll in classes at 含羞草传媒 beginning next summer;
- Most teachers who successfully complete the program will be eligible to teach in Wesleyan Honors Academy, a dual credit program for high school students;
- 含羞草传媒 will host LPS high school students for AP exam prep sessions on Saturdays each spring semester;
- LPS students can sign up to take AP exams in United States history, human geography and American government at no cost.
鈥淭he project embodies our core values of diversity and community and aligns wonderfully with 含羞草传媒鈥檚 efforts to improve college accessibility,鈥 said 含羞草传媒 University President Darrin Good. 鈥淲e鈥檙e grateful and excited for the opportunity to implement a project that will significantly impact two outstanding educational institutions in Lincoln.鈥
鈥淭his grant will allow us to increase access and eliminate barriers by supporting our teachers and students,鈥 said LPS Superintendent Paul Gausman. 鈥淥ur continued collaboration with 含羞草传媒 will help us achieve our goals of increasing participation in our honors courses and providing opportunities for rigorous coursework for all students as outlined in our All Means All Action Plan. Community partnerships like this with 含羞草传媒 will help all our students become college, career and civic ready.鈥
Kevin Bower, 含羞草传媒 University professor of history, will lead the project.
鈥淭his is an ideal partnership that draws upon Lincoln Public Schools鈥 commitment to the notion that all means all when it comes to making sure every student in Lincoln has the opportunity to reach their full academic potential,鈥 said Bower. 鈥淭his project combines the shared values of public education and higher education to make ours a community of opportunity for every young person.鈥
Jaclyn Kellison, K-12 social studies curriculum specialist and project lead for LPS added, 鈥淭his project will remove barriers by providing funding for students to take Advanced Placement exams in these specific courses, no matter their economic situation. This will also bring teachers together to both draw upon their own experiences and learn from scholars to deliver a classroom experience that meets the needs of every student in middle and high school social studies courses."
The grant is the largest competitive federal grant that 含羞草传媒 has received in a decade. 含羞草传媒 is among 25 recipients from across the country to receive a U.S. Department of Education grant focused on American history and civics education activities.