Steppe-Jones Washington-Jones

N.C. Central University received a $2.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education Sept. 16 at the Fall Semester convocation at McLendon-McDougald Gymnasium.

Carolyn Snowbarger, director of the Teacher-To-Teacher Initiative in the U.S. Department of Education, presented a check for $481,046, the first installment of the grant, to the university.

The grant will enable NCCU’s School of Education and University College to work together training teachers in lateral-positions in Vance and Warren County to earn their state teaching licensure.

“The program will train teachers on how to teach and be an effective teacher and how to control a classroom,” said Beverly Washington-Jones, dean of University College.

“Many of them are experts in their field…but do not know how to create a basic lesson plan,” said Washington-Jones.

The program, “Transition to Teaching,” will assist those who are experts in concentrations such as math, science and English as a second language who would like to teach.

“We believe that we have the capacity at a high level to bring education to those who want to teach,” said Cecilia Steppe-Jones, dean of NCCU’s School Of Education.

Participants in the program will receive laptop computers and take courses through video teleconferences, internet lessons, or face-to-face.