Our goal is to prepare teachers to teach in the most challenging environments. We seek to ground the preparation and commitment of prospective urban teachers by providing early experiences with successful urban educators and guided field experiences with children, youth, and families in urban settings.

Candidates for this special program are those with an interest in urban education at the elementary or secondary level. Students who are interested in areas of high need such as mathematics, science, English as a second language, and special education at both the elementary and secondary levels are especially encouraged to apply. Students who are admitted will participate in this special “urban education” program designated for freshmen and sophomores at MSU before matriculating into the teacher education program at the junior year.

Advantages of the Urban educators Cohort Program

As a member of this program you will:

• Complete selected courses that will meet university requirements for humanities, social science and writing, and cover topics in diversity, poverty, and social justice
• Participate in an “urban educator mentor program” with successful urban teachers and administrators. These mentors will come to campus several times during the year to meet with students, offer seminars, and provide students opportunities to visit in their classrooms and districts.
• Gain experience through doing! You will be offered opportunities to tutor, assist teachers, or work in after school programs with children and youth.
• Be guaranteed admission to the Teacher Education program as a junior! Successful participation in the program as a freshman and sophomore, and meeting minimum College of Education admissions standards (2.75 overall GPA, passing scores on MTTC Basic Skills Test, completion of 56 credits by the beginning of junior year, etc.) will result in automatic admission without an additional application.
• Complete 5th year internship in an urban setting to gain enhanced experience in teaching.
• Be given priority consideration for paid summer teaching internships after the junior and senior years in Detroit, for example, offered through the College of Education and Broad Partnership. See http://www.educ.msu.edu/broadpartnership/
• Have opportunities to participate in special seminars, undergraduate research opportunities, special sections of courses and new courses designed for those preparing to teach mathematics and science in urban settings offered through the College of Natural Science.
• Be given priority consideration for selected scholarships during your junior, senior and internship years. In particular, students majoring in chemistry will be targeted for consideration for the Hyde Scholarship and other science students will be identified as candidates for such programs as the Dow Corning New Era Internships, or other new opportunities as they become available. See http://ed-web3.educ.msu.edu/infostu/finaid/undrfinc.htm
• Be personally recommended by the Dean of the College to superintendents of urban school districts, encouraging them to hire new teachers who have successfully completed the Urban Educators Cohort Program!