Primary Source announced the winners of the first-ever Global Teacher Scholarship, a partnership between the organization and three Boston-area companies designed to provide critical professional training for educators in high-need, diverse districts. The scholarships, funded by New Balance, Boston Private Bank, and Matouk, will allow teachers from three local school districts to attend the Primary Source summer institute Cultural Proficiency for Today’s Diverse Schools: A Multidisciplinary Approach and provide funding for each to work collaboratively with Primary Source staff during the year to design a project that benefits their school community.
Scholarship winners include Nancy Miranda, a teacher of English Language Learners (ELL) at Durfee High School in Fall River, Mass.; Kathleen Flaherty, a First Grade ELL Lead Teacher at Charles W. Morey Elementary School in Lowell, Mass.; and Vincenza Goodwin, an ELL teacher at Susan B. Anthony Middle School in Revere, Mass.
Changing demographics have created intense challenges for teachers working in diverse schools as well as wonderful opportunities to build cultural competency among students. The Primary Source summer institute is specifically designed to meet the needs of teachers working in diverse communities so they can be more attuned to the cultural richness of their students while focusing on the content and skills students need to succeed in school, college and career.
Each $1,500 scholarship will allow an individual teacher from a qualifying district to benefit from a year of training and support from Primary Source. The Global Teacher Scholarship includes:
· Attendance at the 2012 summer institute Cultural Proficiency for Today’s Diverse Schools: A Multidisciplinary Approach
· A mini-grant of $300 to be used on a classroom impact project that is replicable and sustainable beyond the life of the scholarship
· Peer-to-peer contact throughout the year with other scholarship recipients and a year-end presentation of projects to the broader community.
· Access to Primary Source’s library for the academic year 2012-13
· Ongoing consultation with Primary Source staff
