Bell and McEneaney receive two grants for teacher diversification

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Beverley Bell, assistant dean of educator preparation, and Betsy McEneaney, chair of Department of Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies, were awarded two grants from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to build high school pathways for students interested in teaching careers.

The first grant ($46,586) is part of the Massachusetts Teacher Diversification Pilot Program, which is designed to support local school and district efforts to strengthen and diversify existing teacher recruitment and retention programs. Bell and McEneaney will partner with Holyoke High School (HHS) staff to support the HHS Future Teacher's Club, offer dual enrollment opportunities for juniors and seniors, and foster summer teaching and mentoring opportunities for HHS students.

The second grant ($14,000) supports a partnership with Hadley Public Schools (HPS). Bell and McEneaney will partner with HPS superintendent Annie McKenzie (an alumna of the College of Education) to develop a pipeline program that encourages high school students to explore teaching as a career.