1. School of Education
  2. About Us
  3. Ruth Harris Professorship
  4. Scholars Program

 

Scholars Program

A row of old books on a bookshelf.

The Ruth Harris Scholars Program is a collaboration between the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), the Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Commonwealth University (T/TAC), and the SOE Dean's Office.

Selected scholars, all of whom are teacher education students in special education, elementary, or secondary education, are provided with professional learning opportunities, including a 30-hour Multisensory Structured Language Instruction Professional Development Training for K-12 teachers that is based on the Orton Gillingham (OG) approach. This training is offered during the summer in partnership with the VDOE and T/TAC. The program complements our VCU coursework and offers a unique experience for mentorship and hands-on application of the training.

The scholars provide 20-25 hours of tutoring under the supervision of certified classroom educators in Richmond Public Schools. The scholars experience additional training to prepare for success and impact with schoolchildren who experience dyslexia and language learning disabilities. The scholars also receive a stipend from T/TAC, and a scholarship from the Ruth Harris endowment funds. 

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