A $3.3 million grant from the US Department of Education has been awarded to Claremont Graduate University’s Department of Teacher Education to develop and cultivate educators-in-training for the Claremont Teaching Fellows Program.

Over five years, the money from the federal Teacher Quality Partnership Grant Program will enable the university’s teaching fellows program—in partnership with Alliance College-Ready Public Schools—to strengthen its preparation of K-12 educators to meet the needs of underserved student populations in the Los Angeles area.

DeLacy Ganley, who serves as dean of CGU’s School of Educational Studies, said that graduate students in the teaching fellows program will receive funding, mentorship and instruction while developing their pedagogy and an understanding of the strengths and needs of the communities they serve.

“Our fellows program is deeply committed to empowering teacher candidates with the social justice and evidence-based knowledge to make a powerful difference in young lives,” she said. “We are thrilled and excited to have been selected for this award along with Alliance.”

Teacher Education Director Eddie Partida is the grant’s primary architect and will serve as its director. Ms. Ganley and CGU Postdoctoral Research Fellow Rebecca Hatkoff are the grant’s co-principal investigators. Alliance is a charter school network that has served low-income communities in the Los Angeles area for 15 years.

Students in CGU’s teaching fellows program will be recruited and selected by alliance and CGU. Students who are chosen as teaching fellows will start CGU’s preliminary credential program. They will take classes at the university during the evenings and weekends and work during the day as paid residents teaching in Alliance schools.

After earning their preliminary credential as well as a master’s degree in education from CGU, the fellows will start the university’s induction program in order to earn a Clear California Teaching Credential.