The Women’s Giving Circle has made an ongoing investment in School of Education projects that support teaching and learning. At a Sept. 20 luncheon, members of the group got a chance to learn about how their investments are paying off in preparing teachers.
The donor group was founded in 2006 to bring together women alumni and former and current teachers to pool their gifts for greater impact. During the 2023 year, the Women’s Giving Circle funded five projects that are continuing to support aspiring teachers and those who work with them.
This year’s co-chairs of the group are Emily Robertson and Diane Thieme. At the luncheon, they announced the establishment of a fund to help students who may need extra support as they prepare for teaching careers. With the ongoing teacher shortage and the challenges of attracting students to the profession, the School of Education needs to do all that it can to support the students are dedicated to becoming teachers. The fund would provide grants of approximately $500 to juniors and seniors majoring in education to help out with such unplanned expenses as breakdowns in transportation or childcare arrangements.
The 2023 projects included:
- Teacher Candidate Retention in the Elementary and Middle Education Program. Liz Daniel, teaching faculty, and Angel Hessel, distinguished lecturer.
- Bringing Theory to Life. Tara Serebin, teaching faculty and Elementary and Middle Education, K-9 program director.
- Supporting and Mentoring UWM Teacher Candidates. Anna Bierce, clinical experience coordinator, and Jenny Brownson, teaching faculty.
- SOE Jumpstart First Year Experience. Jeremy Page, assistant dean for student services.
- English Program Redesign. Kristine Lize, English and Language Arts, 4-12 Education program director.
The leaders and researchers gave brief presentations about their project at the luncheon.