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WMU Seeks Diverse "Future Educators"

Andy Robins
/
WMUK

A new scholarship at Western Michigan University hopes to boost the Kalamazoo Promise and make Kalamazoo’s teaching force more diverse. University and Kalamazoo Public School officials announced the "Future Educators" project Friday.

Western President John Dunn says it will give 11 KPS graduates $5,000 each over five years. That’s in addition to their regular Kalamazoo Promise scholarship. Dunn says that will help them become educators themselves.

"We're going to do everything we can to make sure KPS students see teachers in their classroom who look like they do, can help inspire youngsters (and) help them to realize that higher education is meant for them."

Credit Andy Robins / WMUK
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WMUK
KPS Superintendent Michael Rice

Right now, only two percent of students in WMU's teaching program are African-American males. They make up two percent of KPS teachers. Kalamazoo School Superintendent Michael Rice says raising those numbers is important.

"This is a tremendous opportunity to help make more diverse our workforce, our teaching force, particularly. And we think that's important in a diverse urban environment." Western and KPS officials say the "Future Educators" project will also focus on attracting more Latino and Native-American students, as well as those who are the first in their family to go to college.

The Kalamazoo Promise has attracted much national attention, and imitation, since it started a decade ago. Kalamazoo Promise Community Relations Executive Director Von Washington, Junior, says the new project may do the same.

Credit Andy Robins / WMUK
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WMUK
Von Washington, Jr., of the Kalamazoo Promise

"Western's leadership in this will be a model for a nation to follow, as everyone continues to make sure that their classrooms are reflective of the students that are coming into them each and every day."

Funding for the "Future Educators" initiative comes from an anonymous $250,000 gift, and a $25,000 grant from the Advia Foundation in Kalamazoo. Western will begin recruiting students for the program soon. The first five students could begin classes in the fall of 2016.

Andy Robins has been WMUK's News Director since 1998 and a broadcast journalist for over 24 years. He joined WMUK's staff in 1985. Under his direction, WMUK has received numerous awards for news reporting.
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