North Carolina Central University has just received a $1 million dollar grant to assisting in the training of minority education researchers and to help improve learning outcomes for African American and Hispanic students. The program will be funded by IES Pathway to Education Science Research Training program, and will create a partnership with Duke and UNC Wilmington. This partnership will accept 60 undergraduate students to study and develop professional assessment training in education pedagogy and policy. "The Pathway to Success goals fit well within our mission of expanding opportunity for a diverse population of students in higher education," said NCCU Provost Johnson O. Akinleye. Also, Akinleye believes the program will provide an opportunity for students enrolled at NCCU to pursue into the doctoral program in educational research.
The Pathway program began in 2015 to increase the number of students who are prepared to pursue doctoral study in the educational sciences, including members of racial and ethnic minorities, first-generation college students, the economically disadvantaged, veterans, and those with disabilities.“North Carolina Central University’s School of Education is elated to be a part of this project,” said Dr. Audrey W. Beard, interim dean of the NCCU School of Education. “The grant will enable us to respond to diversity needs that are critical to the academic success of so many students, while also preparing NCCU education majors for academic and career advancement.” Also including the year-long training program, participants will receive education research training, conduct research with peers and faculty mentors, and receive assistance in career development and applying to doctoral programs. The program will also entail an eight-week summer research institute.
“The goal of the Pathways training program is to create a pipeline of education researchers who will bring new ideas and fresh perspectives to the field,” said Thomas Brock, Commissioner of the National Center for Education Research. "We look forward to learning from this first set of grantees and continuing to support efforts to diversify and strengthen the education sciences.”
