Bush Foundation grant supports diversity in teaching

Augsburg College’s Department of Education was awarded a $150,000 grant from the Bush Foundation through its Teacher Effectiveness Initiative. The award will be used to fund a project that builds the College’s capacity to recruit and support students of color as they work toward a degree in teaching. Augsburg was one of only five higher education institutions selected to receive this one-time award.

Augsburg’s Department of Education Chair and Associate Professor Margaret Finders will lead the project in partnership with Minneapolis Public Schools, Minneapolis Community and Technical College, and St. Paul Public Schools. This team will create a coordinated, sustainable infrastructure that will recruit high-quality teacher candidates and reduce attrition. This infrastructure will help the partner institutions engage in proactive recruitment of teacher candidates of color from multiple entry points, improve experiences for teacher candidates of color, and foster smooth transitions into teaching.