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Dean's MessageWe had a busy summer and are thrilled to be kicking off the fall semester! We have some very exciting things going on in our College and we continue to be focused on our commitment to designing and implementing innovative and high-impact programs.
Very recently, a group of philanthropists EACH made a five-year, $50,000 per-year gift to increase the teacher pipeline for Northeast Florida. These funds are going directly to scholarships for teacher candidates and practicing teachers who are committed to urban education. The scholarships provide the opportunity to complete degrees relatively debt free. These generous community leaders will help us attract more followers in our philanthropic community, and they are helping us share with the broader community the importance of supporting teacher development.
Donors, community leaders, and policymakers are becoming increasingly aware of our College and its role as a difference maker in the community. We aim to keep improving, growing and innovating because with this increased financial support and attention, we have the privilege and responsibility to continue to strengthen our programs each and every day. I hope you will take a few minutes to read about some of these exciting programs and events, and also about our awesome alumni and new faculty!
Diane Yendol-Hoppey
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Diversifying the Teacher Pipeline:
AACTE Holmes Scholars and UNF Summer Bridge Program
In June, we hosted a signing day for the first-ever cohort of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education Holmes Scholars. Each of these students are seeking a future career as a special kind of change agent and role model. They are interested in advancing the quality of education in some of the most under-resourced schools in Jacksonville. In fact, Dr. Greene, superintendent of Duval County Public Schools, promised each of them a job in DCPS upon graduation! This event is representative of the strides our College and University are making toward diversification of our student population and the Northeast Florida teaching force. Learn more about this event in this news clip.
With grant support from the Delores Barr Weaver Fund, the UNF Center for Urban Education and Policy (CUEP) hosted a "Summer Bridge" camp in July for rising seniors from urban high schools throughout Northeast Florida. Aimed at taking the fear out of the high-school-to-college transition, students were able to discover career pathways or academic fields of study (with an emphasis on teacher education), meet new friends, make professional connections and more.
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The "Alpha Cohort" with CUEP leadership, Dr. Diana Greene (DCPS Superintendent), Dr. Tracolya Clinch (Principal, Andrew Jackson HS), Dean Yendol-Hoppey, and Dr. Pam Chally (Interim Provost).
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Three of the eight members of the Alpha Cohort: Ahmad Levy, Jarred Jackson and Rafael Perezdesilva
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Dr. Chris Janson (Director, Center for Urban Education and Policy) addresses the Alpha Cohort and guests.
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Week 2 Summer Bridge campers with CUEP leadership and Rodney L. Hurst, Sr.
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Week 1 Summer Bridge campers with CUEP leadership.
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STEM Summer Camps for Teachers and StudentsWith funding support from our full-time partner STEM2 Hub and technical support from the Microsoft Hacking STEM staff, our College hosted three sessions of free summer camps for elementary, middle and high school students. The high school campers created robotic hands, with a goal of translating the technology to affordable prosthetics for the community. Action News Jacksonville visited the STEP Lab and produced this segment.
Thanks to a generous grant from Voya Financial, we were able to host local K-12 teachers during a weeklong Microsoft “Hacking STEM” professional development camp. From robotic prosthetic hands and electromagnetic spectrum spectrometers to LEGO EV3 robots, these teachers were busy. Thank you to the Voya representatives who stopped by the Solve, Tinker, Explore and Play (STEP) Lab to learn about and witness firsthand the benefits of STEM professional development for teachers.
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Dr. Nick Eastham and Middle School camper testing water quality from different sources around UNF
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High School campers exploring the human skeleton using HoloLens technology
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Middle School Campers building joysticks for a virtual shark survival game
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Representatives from Voya Financial speaking with Dr. Betina Malhotra about the various projects the teachers completed
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The campers, instructors and Voya representatives in the UNF STEP Lab
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Faculty Feature: Q&A with Dr. Elizabeth HaleBefore the start of the fall semester, we sat down with one of our newest faculty members, Dr. Elizabeth Hale. She is joining us after graduating from Harvard's Graduate School of Education in May 2018 with an Ed.D. in Education Policy, Leadership, and Instructional Practice. Previously, she worked as an elementary school teacher, online course developer, and literacy coach in Boston Public Schools. Hale earned her M.A. in Elementary Education at Columbia University's Teachers College.
She says she set out on her assistant professor job search looking for colleges of education that are known for having a supportive and collaborative environment, with faculty who are motivated and reflective about their practice. "One of the main draws for me in wanting to work at the UNF College of Education and Human Services is the explicit and wide-reaching emphasis on collaborating with teachers and producing research that is meaningful to practitioners," she explained. Learn more about Dr.Hale in the full interview.
A warm welcome to Dr. Hale — we think you will be very happy here at UNF!
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Alumni Spotlight: Shane Horn and Teri Chenot
Shane Horn is a U.S. Air Force veteran and 2008 UNF graduate. He earned a teaching degree and additional Florida teaching certifications in English, Speech, and Drama (6 – 12). He took some time to answer our questions as a featured COEHS alumnus. He is the Theory of Knowledge Coordinator and teacher of Literature & Performance and Theatre at an International Baccalaureate school in Jordan. Learn more about Shane Horn.
Teri Chenot is a graduate of our College's M.Ed. and Ed.D. programs. During a ceremony in Washington D.C. this fall, she will be inducted as a Fellow into the American Academy of Nursing. This is the highest national honor for a nurse leader, and is based on her global work in patient safety. "My doctoral research work at the UNF COEHS was in patient safety, which launched my career research trajectory," Chenot explained.
We are proud of all our graduates, who are making a real difference locally, nationally and globally!
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An Incredible Experience:ASL/Interpreting Program's Collaboration with UNF Eco Adventure In late spring, Dr. Sherry Shaw organized a one-of-a-kind event for 11 deaf-blind participants from all over the state. UNF Eco Adventure provided hiking and zip line experiences to the deaf-blind participants and Shaw's 20+ tactile sign language students, who assisted and interpreted for the participants.
"It truly was a banner day for UNF. I was so very impressed with our student interpreters and what they have learned here at UNF," said Amy Costa, assistant director of Eco Adventure and Osprey Challenge Course. "I told my staff how proud I am of them and mostly that they got to experience such a rewarding program through our collaboration with Dr. Shaw. It was a magical experience for everyone involved."
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Program Spotlight: Early Childhood Education
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