Minneapolis—November 18, 2008—The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership at Walden University, one of the nation’s largest providers of graduate degrees to P–12 teachers, today announced the recipients of the university’s 2008 Educator for a Day Grants.
Walden awarded $5,000 grants to three schools hosting Educator for a Day events to foster awareness of the need for more teachers and of the benefits of the teaching profession as part of the nationwide celebration of the National Education Association’s American Education Week, observed Nov. 16–22, 2008.
The 2008 Educator for a Day grant recipients include:
Eastlawn Elementary, Pascagoula, Miss. – Eastlawn Elementary is located less than one mile from the Mississippi Sound/Gulf of Mexico and was severely damaged during Hurricane Katrina. Grant money will be used to build an outdoor garden classroom where students can read, write, and study the area’s indigenous vegetables and plants.
East Auburn Community School, Auburn, Maine – East Auburn Community School has among its 2008 goals to improve student reading achievement. In support of this focus, grant money will be used to purchase technology resources and web-based reading intervention programs.
West View Elementary, Burlington, Wash. – West View Elementary is a school with the highest ELL, migrant and Hispanic population in its district. West View will use its grant money to purchase additional Spanish literature and to launch a before and after school homework/tutor program.
“Each recipient demonstrates an overwhelming commitment to the impact educators can make in their classrooms and communities. The work of our nation’s teachers and administrators is an inspiration to those of us in higher education who celebrate the valuable difference educators make every day. These important grants are a continuation of Walden’s proud legacy of providing programs created by teachers for teachers,” said Victoria Reid, vice president of the Riley College of Education and Leadership.
The winning schools were selected from more than 270 nominations submitted by educators across the country. Each school will host at least one aspiring educator who will shadow a teacher during the school day Thursday, Nov. 20.
Walden created the grant initiative in 2007 to honor the teaching profession and to reward teachers and their students for their commitment to education. Grants must be used for educational purposes, such as school supplies or school-site educational activities. The winning schools last year were: Conerly Road School in Somerset, N.J.; South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind in Spartanburg, S.C.; and Times Squared Academy in Providence, R.I.
Walden’s programs support the needs of educators at all levels, from preschool through higher education. Walden programs also serve educators at various stages of their profession, including new and veteran classroom teachers, faculty members and administrators, and career changers who are interested in teaching in two critical areas of the current teacher shortage: early childhood education and special education (with a focus on learning disabilities and emotional/behavioral disorders).
Walden’s Riley College of Education and Leadership is named in honor of Richard W. Riley, the former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education and a leading advocate in advancing education as a national priority. In January 2008, Walden was ranked for a second time by U.S. News & World Report as having the nation’s largest online graduate program in education by enrollment.
For more information about The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership at Walden University, visit www.WaldenU.edu.
About Walden University
Since 1970, Walden University has offered working professionals the opportunity to earn advanced degrees through distance learning. Today, this comprehensive, accredited online university offers master’s and doctoral degrees in education, psychology, management, public policy and administration, and health and human services, as well as master’s programs in engineering and IT and bachelor’s programs in business administration, psychology, child development, and computer information systems.
Walden University is a member of Laureate International Universities, a leading global network of accredited campus-based and online universities. For more information, visit www.WaldenU.edu.
Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association, www.hlcommission.org.