To qualify, candidates for this award must have graduated from a public high school in Flint, Detroit or other urban districts.  They must express an interest in pursuing teacher certification through MSU or be admitted into an MSU Teacher Preparation program in elementary, secondary or special education.  Candidates may be freshman, sophomores, juniors, seniors or interns. 

Applications for the Joyce and Jim Putnam Endowed Scholarship in Urban Education will be reviewed for the following:

• Academic Achievement.
• Evidence of interest in working with PK-12 learners from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds, particularly with students in poverty and in urban settings.
• Evidence of successful leadership (i.e. seeking support and providing support in solving problems and successful team membership).
• Commitment to interning and teaching in urban schools.

The selection of recipients shall be determined by a committee to include no less than two teachers representing public schools in urban districts.  It is the Donor’s preference that teachers from Flint and Detroit are included on the committee.  Upon the establishment of the Joyce and Jim Putnam Chair in Urban Education, that individual will oversee the committee and determine the amount of each award.  As long as Dr. Sonya Gunnings-Moton is employed by the College of Education she will serve as selection committee chair.  

It is intended that the scholarship funds will pay for tuition and fees.  However, students who have been selected to receive grants or other scholarships would qualify for consideration of support for expenses such as food, medicine, insurance, technology, transportation, housing, textbooks and/or lab fees.

Funding will be for one year and recipients are encouraged to reapply on a yearly basis for additional support.  Amount of funding will be determined based on applicant’s financial need.  If a recipient has to leave school for a time (not to exceed a twelve month period) and remains in good standing with the university and with the program and resumes his or her program in elementary, secondary or special education, the remaining funds of the specified scholarship will remain available for that individual upon his or her return. 

The recipient(s) shall be requested to express acceptance and appreciation of the award in writing within six weeks of notification of the award.

This  fund was established by Joyce and Jim Putnam to honor select urban students who demonstrate strong academic achievement and work ethic, as well as a vision for their future as an urban educator. The Putnams observed through their work and experiences in both Flint and Port Huron, Michigan, that many urban students prevailed over difficult conditions in their home and neighborhood environments.  However, due to a lack of financial support, many of these bright, energetic students were not able to realize their full potential. In many cases, these students ended up pursuing life directions that were not fulfilling and not of their primary interests. The Putnams have noted that, historically, scholarship support has been made available for urban students to pursue their dreams through higher education. However, it is the Putnams' desire to specifically support urban students' dream to pursue a career in teaching, and to be afforded the opportunity to realize this dream in a nationally top rated teacher preparation program. It is the Putnams' hope that many of the students who receive this scholarship choose to return to teach in urban settings. As a result, they will make significant contributions by enriching the opportunities of those who desire to follow their examples.