The College is among 29 Ohio colleges and universities awarded grants by the Ohio Department of Higher Education and the Ohio Department of Education to address a lack of teachers in Ohio and a dearth of students in the pipeline pursuing careers in K-12 education.
Notre Dame has received $120,000 to develop efforts to increase the number of teachers entering the education workforce over the next two years. Ohio has awarded two-year grants to public and independent four-year institutions throughout the state with Chancellor-approved educator preparation programs.
The College has a 100-year tradition of preparing professional educators and celebrates its centennial from September 2022 to September 2023.
“These funds will spur innovative and collaborative approaches to addressing the educator shortage in Ohio,” Chancellor Randy Gardner said. “The awards will fund a diverse group of programs at public and independent colleges and universities in every region of Ohio to increase the pipeline of licensed educators that we know our communities and school districts need.”
Awards will help to address immediate needs within the profession, targeting populations that could enter the workforce within one or two years and awardees that will collaborate with community college partners to recruit candidates for educator preparation programs. Many of the institutions receiving funds are focused on specific high-need areas such as special education and STEM disciplines.
Grant funds are to be prioritized for student scholarships and other direct student supports to increase educator workforce enrollments.
“This program will help remove barriers for individuals looking to begin a career in education while fulfilling a workforce need in critical areas such as STEM instruction and special education,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.
The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted and is expected to continue to affect educator preparation programs and the availability of teachers at various levels. As part of the State of Ohio’s response to the pandemic, $5.2 million from the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief fund has been made available to increase the number of candidates admitted to and completing educator licensure programs and to address shortages of teaching professionals across the state.
April 2022
About Notre Dame College
Notre Dame College is a private, Catholic, liberal arts college in South Euclid, Ohio, committed to teaching students how to make a good living and live a good life. Founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1922, the College offers bachelor’s degrees in 30 disciplines plus a variety of master’s degrees, certification programs and continuing and professional development programs for adult learners on campus and online. For more information, visit NotreDameCollege.edu.