Southern Miss has received a donation to support its efforts in training future educators for a career in teaching.
The Golden Eagle Teacher Residency Program at the University of Southern Mississippi was awarded a 2024 AmeriCorps State Grant worth over $319,000 to support educator preparation at the graduate level.
“For 30 years, AmeriCorps has united volunteers to strengthen their communities. We are excited to have our USM teacher residents partnering with this wonderful organization through service that enriches both their lives and the lives of those they teach,” Andrea Krell, instructor and director of teacher residency at USM, said. “Funding from the AmeriCorps grant will support individuals as they make career transitions to become teachers.”
Beginning this July, up to 30 graduate teacher residents at Southern Miss will serve as AmeriCorps volunteers within elementary schools in the following partner school districts:
- Columbia
- Forrest County
- Hattiesburg
- Jackson County
- Jefferson Davis County
- Moss Point
- Pass Christian
- South Pike
Teacher residents will be enrolled in USM’s Master of Arts in teaching in inclusive elementary education program which leads to a Mississippi teaching license with endorsements in both elementary education and special education.
“I am proud of our faculty who share a deep commitment to this cause and thankful for the relationships with our K-12 partners,” Dr. Trent Gould, dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences at USM, said. “Our state and nation have reached a watershed moment as it relates to the production and retention of teachers. This partnership with AmeriCorps is yet another declaration that Southern Miss will do all it can, where it can, and when it can to address the teacher shortage in our state.”
Grant funds will contribute to living stipends for students during their residency year and provide additional support in the form of textbooks and testing fees. Each resident will be considered a three-quarter-time AmeriCorps member, completing 1,200 service hours throughout the academic year.
The service they provide will serve to improve the academic performance of students within the residency classrooms while providing residents with hands-on learning opportunities on their pathway to becoming licensed educators. USM will provide teacher residents with tuition scholarships through other grant sources.
Volunteer Mississippi awards AmeriCorps State grants to organizations throughout the state addressing Mississippi’s greatest needs. State-administered AmeriCorps programs offer skills training, continuing education, and other benefits that enable members to better serve local needs while gaining valuable work experience.
