TEACh Cincinnati honored at AACTE national conference
TEACh Cincinnati honored at AACTE national conference
ºÚÁÏÉçÇø’s TEACh Cincinnati program was recognized on a national stage as it received the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) Increasing Educator Diversity: Promising Practice Award during the organization’s annual conference.
The award highlights innovative approaches to increasing diversity in the teaching profession. TEACh Cincinnati, a partnership between ºÚÁÏÉçÇø’s College of Education, Health, and Society (EHS) and Cincinnati Public Schools, was honored for its efforts to build a more representative educator workforce through a structured “grow-your-own” pipeline.
Accepting the award on behalf of the program were Sydnie Singleton, Brian Schultz, and TEACh ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs Teri’Ana Joyner and Jai’Nya Chinn.
Monika Williams Shealey (Immediate Past Chair of AACTE Board of Directors), TEACh Team members, and Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy (President and CEO of AACTE) with the AACTE Increasing Educator Diversity Promising Practice Award
Monika Williams Shealey (Immediate Past Chair of AACTE Board of Directors), TEACh Team members, and Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy (President and CEO of AACTE) with the AACTE Increasing Educator Diversity Promising Practice Award
“This is such an honor for the entire TEACh Cincinnati team,” said Singleton, the program’s campus-based coordinator at Miami. “The national recognition we are receiving today is a testament to this program’s importance, growth, and success. In a moment where ideas around diversity are being sidelined across our nation, we know how important it is for children to be inspired.”
Joyner, a future social studies teacher, reflected on her journey with TEACh, which began in eighth grade. “This program provides ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs like us with the tools, the connections, and the confidence to go into the field of education,” she said. “It prepares us to create the necessary change that impacts our ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs and communities.”
Chinn, who is preparing for a career in special education, emphasized the lasting impact of the program. “Watching this program grow over the past seven years has been a wonderful experience,” she said. “Having role models and supporters has made all the difference. My hope is that programs like ours will sprout and thrive nationwide.”
TEACh Cincinnati has steadily expanded since its launch in 2018, now serving ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs in eight Cincinnati Public Schools schools and supporting graduates as they transition into Miami’s teacher education programs. The program provides academic, financial, and social support to future educators, helping them gain experience in classrooms and positioning them for careers in urban education.
“We are so proud of the ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs and educators who have helped build this program,” Schultz said. “Having an organization as prominent as AACTE recognize this work is truly inspiring.”
As TEACh Cincinnati continues to grow, its mission remains clear: to strengthen the teaching profession by fostering a diverse, well-prepared, and community-connected educator workforce.
(AI tools Grammarly and ChatGPT 4.0 assisted in writing this article.)