Claflin University, the historically Black educational institution in Orangeburg, South Carolina, has entered into an agreement with the State Higher Education Officers Association and the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education for a program aimed at increasing the number of African American men who pursue careers as teachers.
The program will seek to identify young Black male students as early as junior high school who are interested in becoming teachers. There students will receive mentoring, counseling, advising, and tutoring to keep on track for higher education. The program will place emphasis on skill development in the areas of written and oral communication, critical thinking, teamwork, and quantitative literacy.
Henry N. Tisdale, president of Claflin University, said that “Claflin is extremely pleased to be a partner in this collaboration and we want to do our part in preparing the next generation of extraordinary teachers who are African-American males. We look forward to helping to make a difference in providing a quality education for all of our children.”
The Project Pipeline Repair: Restoring Minority Male Participation and in Educator Preparation Programs effort is made possible by a three-year grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
