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Community Colleges Selected to Participate in National Science Foundation Project

Eighteen two-year colleges have been selected to participate in a three-year National Science Foundation project to expand and enhance community college teacher preparation programs for future K-12 science and mathematics teachers, and identify the best practices within these programs.

Two-year colleges are playing a growing role in teacher preparation across the nation, because of that they serve as an ideal venue for improving teacher training and preparation. According to figures from the American Association of Community Colleges, fifty percent of all undergraduate students, including future teachers, take their first two years of liberal arts classes at two-year colleges. Forty-seven percent of all minorities in college attend two-year colleges. Plus, two-year colleges have a lengthy reach into rural and urban communities where training and preparation are most needed.

"Selection to participate in this program is an high honor. Colleges were competitively selected from applicants from across the country. They will have access to the best training that will eventually have a substantive impact on the communities these colleges serve," explains Diane Eisenburg, project director.

This project has already reached thousands of students since 2001. Many colleges report unexpected benefits such as new and stronger ties with local and regional industries and organizations.

The following colleges were also selected to participate:

  • Bronx Community College and Mohawk Valley Community College, New York;

  • Butler County Community College and Johnson County Community College, Kansas;

  • Del Mar College and Navarro College, Texas;

  • Floyd College, Georgia;

  • Kirtland Community College, Michigan;

  • Lake City Community College and Manatee Community College, Florida;

  • Mid-South Community College, Arkansas;

  • North Iowa Area Community College, Iowa;

  • Oklahoma City Community College, Oklahoma;

  • Sinclair Community College, Ohio;

  • Rio Hondo Community College and Santa Barbara Community College, California;

  • Somerset Community College, Kentucky;

  • University of New Mexico-Gallup Campus, New Mexico.