The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s College of Education & Human Development has been awarded a $3.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Teacher Quality Partnership grant program. This funding will support the establishment of a “Grow Your Own Network” aimed at addressing teacher shortages in the south-central region of Louisiana, particularly in Acadiana.
The initiative will create a collaborative network linking local school districts with higher education institutions. The goal is to cultivate a sustainable, diverse, and well-equipped teaching workforce that can effectively meet the needs of local communities. Dr. Aimee Barber, the project lead and an assistant professor of curriculum and instruction at UL Lafayette, emphasized the importance of this program. She stated that it not only aims to fill teaching positions but also to ensure that these positions are filled by educators who are culturally competent and dedicated to their communities. Ultimately, the initiative seeks to enhance educational outcomes across Lafayette and surrounding parishes.
Key partners involved in this initiative include UL Lafayette, South Louisiana Community College, and several public school systems in Lafayette, Vermilion, St. Martin, St. Landry, and St. Mary parishes. The program will also benefit from collaboration with organizations such as Steady State Impact, the Pugh Family Foundation, PDK International, and the Louisiana Workforce Commission, which will contribute to various aspects of the initiative, including project evaluation and teacher apprenticeship development.
The program is designed to identify and eliminate barriers that prevent aspiring educators from entering and staying in the profession, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds. By expanding existing programs and creating new opportunities, the initiative aims to prepare a new cohort of teachers who can significantly impact over 69,000 pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade students in the region.
This initiative represents a proactive approach to combating the teacher shortage crisis while simultaneously setting students up for success by establishing a reliable education pipeline tailored to the needs of local communities.
Additional collaboration involves faculty members from the UL Lafayette’s College of Education & Human Development, who bring a wealth of experience and expertise to this important endeavor.
In conclusion, this grant opens doors for aspiring educators and reinforces the commitment to strengthening the educational landscape in Louisiana, ensuring that future generations receive quality education from dedicated teachers.