MERREC Distinguished Fellows event to be held Sep. 30
The Distinguished Fellows program, an initiative of the Minority Educator Recruitment, Retention and Equity Center (MERREC), will have its official kick-off ceremony at 5:30 p.m. on September 30 in the courtyard between Oliver Hall and the Trani Center for Life Sciences.
Distinguished Fellows is a program aimed at developing prospective middle and high school students, preservice, and current teachers from underserved, socio-economically disadvantaged, and educationally at-risk backgrounds to have a unified transition for entering and staying in the teaching profession. It provides mentoring, leadership skills, character development, and a safe space for these individuals to learn and grow together.
The program, a collaboration with Rodney Robinson, 2019 National Teacher of the Year and VCU School of Education alum (M.Ed. ’11/E), and Richmond Public Schools, is intended to be a pathway for diversifying the teacher workforce in our local communities, particularly for male educators of color who currently represent only 2% of the teacher workforce.
In addition to Robinson, the kick-off ceremony will feature LaRon A. Scott, Ed.D., executive director of MERREC, and Andrew P. Daire, Ph.D., dean of the School of Education, who will share details about the mission, vision and support for the Distinguished Fellows program.