UNO Teachers Scholars Academy Annual Report | 2019-20

UN I V E R S I T Y OF N E B R A S K A AT O M A H A

TEACHERS SCHOLARS ACADEMY ANNUAL REPORT

2019 -2020

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

– Nelson Mandela The Teacher Scholars Academy (TSA) is a select group of high-achieving teacher candidates who embody leadership qualities and commitment to their communities.

In the Fall 2019 semester, we welcomed an outstanding group of 24 first-year candidates who are passionate about education and teaching to our inaugural TSA cohort. They are pursuing degrees through our Teacher Education and Special Education and Communication Disorders programs, working towards majors in Secondary, Elementary, and Special Education. We are excited to welcome the second cohort of 22 scholars into our TSA family in the fall 2020 term Selected endorsement areas include Art, English, French, Math, Social Science, Spanish, ESL, School Library, Deaf Hard of Hearing and Special Education in both Elementary and Secondary areas.

Our TSA program incorporates experiential learning opportunities for scholars including: • Seminars • Dedicated honors program courses • TSA-only education courses • Research and scholarly investigation • College and community collaboration • Leadership opportunities • Professional and interpersonal development • Global study options We remain committed to providing the resources and opportunities for the growth and development of dedicated practitioners, reflective scholars, and responsible citizens who will acquire the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of education leaders, ready to fulfill critical roles in shaping the future of their diverse communities.

Our students have been recognized for their dedication to education, willingness to engage in open, honest conversation, and their scholarly aptitude. We have had an amazing year together and are navigating these unprecedented times together as a robust and resilient community.

Gerry W. Huber, PhD Director, Teacher Scholars Academy

1

CONTENTS ACADEMY BENEFITS, PROGRAM GOALS . . . . . . . . . . . 3 COURSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 APPLICATION PROCESS, SELECTION, ELIGIBILITY . . . . 5 TSA SEMINAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 IMPACT SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 SCHOLAR PROFILES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

TEACHERS SCHOLARS ACADEMY ANNUAL REPORT

2

TEACHER SCHOLARS ACADEMY BENEFITS SCHOLARSHIPS

REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE

COHORT MODEL

Thanks to generous donors, every Teacher Scholar receives up to 30 credits of in-state tuition per year as well as partial room and board, books, and fees. In addition, every applicant to Teacher Scholars Academy is considered for all College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences scholarships—even if they are not selected as a Scholar.

Experiential learning is a key part of the Teacher Scholar experience, including both service to the community and hands-on educational experiences.

As a Teacher Scholar, students will work closely with other highperforming Scholars by engaging in seminars, courses, peer mentoring, and special projects specially designed for each cohort. Scholars will graduate with a strong network of professional peers.

PROGRAM GOALS 1. To foster and promote leadership development and professional growth.

2. To support teacher development to serve diverse populations and communities.

3. To provide opportunities for collaborative research and

4. To provide opportunities for community and global experiences to enrich candidates' intellectual, professional, and interpersonal growth.

5. To encourage teacher development in hard-to-fill areas.

6. To strengthen teacher retention.

scholarly work in education.

“I just wanted to let you know the work from your students this semester was extraordinary. I loved getting together with them every week and we all learned a lot from each other. I am certain these students are going to go on to make a huge difference in education and feel lucky that I was able to meet and interact with them. I would love to teach for Teacher Scholars Academy anytime in the future. Do let me know if there’s anything I can do to help Teacher Scholars at any time.”

CASEY L. RIESBERG Communications Instructor

3

COURSES As part of the Teacher Scholars Academy, students have an opportunity to thrive in small, specialized courses.

FALL SEMESTER (1)

CMST 1110 | PUBLIC SPEAKING – 3 credits Public Speaking Fundamentals helps students become effective public speakers, as well as critical listeners and evaluators of public communication. Students will learn the principles of audience adaptation, topic selection, and organization, development of ideas and presentation of speeches. Each student will design and present a minimum of four public speeches.

This course section is for TSA candidates only and applies toward Honors credit and Fundamental General Education requirement.

SPRING SEMESTER

TED 2200 | HUMAN RELATIONS – 3 credits This course is designed to increase multicultural knowledge and positively influence the diversity disposition of prospective teacher candidates. It is also designed to help them become more aware of ways to motivate and positively impact the youths they will encounter in their future classrooms. Prospective teacher candidates will examine existing attitudes toward various groups by race, ethnicity, age, gender, disability, and social class with the goal of becoming dedicated practitioners, reflective scholars, and responsible citizens who can meet their professional responsibilities.

Course includes Service Learning, applies toward Honors credit and U.S. Diversity General Education requirement.

FALL SEMESTER (2)

EDL 4590 | LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT – 3 credits Leadership development is an educational outcome for college students, and at UNO, is strongly encouraged. This course will expose students to foundational leadership theories and challenge them to explore personal and social competencies associated with effective collaboration and leadership.

This section of the course will focus on Teacher and Educational Leadership and applies toward Honors credit.

FRESHMAN TSA SEMINAR

REQUIRED

SEPTEMBER – MAY

Teacher Scholars are required to participate in monthly seminar meetings scheduled throughout their Freshman year.

These meetings are designed to build a collaborative community, foster growth, and further develop communication and leadership skills through a variety of professional development activities.

TEACHERS SCHOLARS ACADEMY ANNUAL REPORT

4

ACADEMY APPLICATION PROCESS High school seniors are invited to apply to be a Teacher Scholar. A candidate must be: • An incoming freshman enrolled in a teacher preparation program in UNO's College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences for the 2021-22 year.

• Have demonstrated academic excellence and leadership.

• Show a commitment to community through volunteer service and extracurricular activities.

INTERESTED CANDIDATES MUST SUBMIT: A RÉSUMÉ: This must show commitment to the community and school through volunteer service and extracurricular activities.

A VIDEO: A link to a 2-3 minute video response to two prompts that allow the committee to see the applicant’s aptitude for leadership.

A committee of Academy staff, CEHHS professors, and CADRE Associates review all applications. The top applicants are invited to Roskens Hall for a day of interviews in March. During Interview Day, candidates will interview with a panel of experts, complete a writing sample, and participate in a group activity with other candidates. From that pool, students are selected and invited to join the next freshman cohort.

SELECTION PROCESS TIMELINE OCTOBER 1

The application opens for the 2021-22 freshman cohort.

FEBRUARY 1

The application closes at midnight.

MARCH

Interview Day held at UNO in Roskens Hall.

MAY 1

The last day to accept an offered Teacher Scholar invitation.

ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES Teacher Scholars must be first-time freshmen and enrolled in a UNO College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences teacher preparation program.

During the selection process, the committee looks for incoming freshmen who have a record of academic excellence, have a passion for teaching, are committed to community engagement, and embody strong leadership characteristics.

5

TEACHERS SCHOLARS ACADEMY ANNUAL REPORT

6

TSA SEMINAR The monthly Teacher Scholars Academy seminar meetings were designed and facilitated collaboratively with CADRE associates to provide professional development activities for the Teacher Scholars that will aid in their growth as future educators. CADRE associates are master teachers who mentor newly certified teachers through the CADRE project (Career Advancement and Development for Recruits and Experienced) teachers. The CADRE Project is a nationally-recognized accelerated master's degree program designed to assist newly certified teachers with the unique challenges of entry into the profession of education. CADRE participants complete their first year of teaching and a specialized master’s degree while receiving support from UNO faculty, veteran teachers from participating school districts, and other first-year teachers.

Our hope is that the mentorship that our TSA cohorts receive in working with the CADRE associates will lead to their application to the project upon graduation, leading to ongoing support and education for the newly branded educators.

2019–2020 ACTIVITIES TIMELINE

SEP

OCT

NOV

FALL RETREAT

WHAT IS LEADERSHIP?

TSA Cohort

TSA cohort – joined by Master Teachers

REDLINING OVERVIEW AND THE TIES CONFERENCE TSA cohort – joined by Inclusive Communities, Master Teachers

DEC

JAN

FEB

1ST SEMESTER SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING IN SCHOOLS & CONNECTING WITH OTHERS

UNO MLK DAY OF SERVICE

MINDFULNESS & SELF-CARE

TSA cohort out in the community

TSA cohort – joined by Master Teachers

MAR

APR

MAY

PRESENTATION SKILLS AND THE UNO RESEARCH AND CREATIVE ACTIVITY FAIR

CONFLICT RESOLUTION, PROFESSIONALISM

FIRST YEAR REVIEW AND THANKS

TSA cohort – joined by Master Teachers

Scholar-led

TSA cohort – joined by Master Teachers

TSA cohort – joined by Master Teachers

Meetings were generally held in the IDEAS room at 7:30 a.m. The activities helped to advance skills related to leadership, inclusion, communication, and presentation. In addition, students were engaged in activities that helped to increase their knowledge of self, community, and cultural diversity disposition.

During the May meeting, TSA scholars shared the many learnings that they took away from the meetings that will help them in their careers. They also thanked our CADRE partners for sharing their time and expertise throughout the seminar series.

7

TEACHERS SCHOLARS ACADEMY ANNUAL REPORT

8

IMPACT SUMMARY 2019 TEACHER SCHOLARS COHORT

24

21%

Teacher Scholars are from 12 Nebraska cities Omaha ■ Bennington ■ North Platte ■ Wymore ■ Papillion ■ Bellevue La Vista ■ Cozad ■ Lincoln ■ Fairbury ■ Silver Creek ■ Norfolk

Applicants awarded scholarships for the 2019 TSA Cohort

21

High Schools Represented

3

Racial/Ethnic Diversity

10 Pre-Elementary 9 Pre-Secondary

Unique Majors

5 Special Education

ADMISSIONS SNAPSHOT Average ACT Score

Average H.S. GPA

FALL '19

3.9

25.13

3.45

22.6

Average high school GPA of first-year UNO students

Average ACT score of first-year UNO students

88%

Teacher Scholars on term honor list

3.77

Teacher Scholars average GPA

68 47

Total number of eligible applicants to UNO’s Teacher Scholars Academy.

Applicants enrolling in CEHHS for Fall 2019 semester.

69.11% YIELD RATE

2019 TEACHER SCHOLARS YEAR 1 GPA AND HONORS HONORS 3.50+ to 4.0

AVERAGE GPA

9

FALL '19

SPRING '20

88%

91%

3.77

3.87

Teacher Scholars on term honor list

Teacher Scholars average GPA

Teacher Scholars on term honor list

Teacher Scholars average GPA

RETENTION SNAPSHOT

24 23

Total number of members of UNO’s Teacher Scholars Academy Fall 2019.

Total number of Cohort 1 students matriculating into the Fall 2020 semester.

96% RETENTION RATE

2020 TEACHER SCHOLARS COHORT

22

23%

Teacher Scholars are from 6 Nebraska cities and 1 Iowa city Omaha ■ Bellevue ■ Papillion ■ Fort Calhoun ■ Columbus ■ Mitchell ■ Neola, IA

Applicants awarded scholarships for the 2020 TSA Cohort

Average ACT Score

25.86 22.6 Average ACT score of first-year UNO students

12

High Schools Represented

Racial/Ethnic Diversity

14 Pre-Elementary

3

5 Pre-Secondary

Unique Majors

Average H.S. GPA

3.90 3.45 Average high school GPA of first-year UNO students

4 Special Education

2

STATES

6

COUNTIES

12

HIGH SCHOOLS

TEACHERS SCHOLARS ACADEMY ANNUAL REPORT

10

2019 SCHOLAR PROFILES

HAYDEN BAHL

NIA ELON BREWER

REGAN CATTERSON

SOPHIE CRENSHAW

SHELBY DECKER

GABRIELLE DELFORGE

QUINCEY EPLEY

ALEXANDRA ESPINOZA

Major Pre-Elementary, Special Education High School Papillion-La Vista High School Hometown Papillion, Nebraska

Major Pre-Elementary, Special Education High School Southern High School Hometown Wymore, Nebraska

Major Pre-Secondary Education High School Omaha Central High School Hometown Omaha, Nebraska

Major Pre-Secondary Education High School Bellevue West High School Hometown Bellevue, Nebraska

Major Pre-Elementary, Special Education High School Papillion-La Vista South High School Hometown Bellevue, Nebraska

Major Pre-Elementary Education High School North Platte High School Hometown North Platte, Nebraska

Major Pre-Secondary Education High School Duchesne Academy Hometown Omaha, Nebraska

Major Pre-Secondary Education High School Millard North High School Hometown Omaha, Nebraska

“Due to this scholarship, I will have doors opened to me that financial need would have otherwise left closed. As an aspiring educator, I believe it is my duty to restore the value of education to the next generation. I plan to teach Human Growth and Development along with a slew of other Family Consumer Science classes at the high school level. I also plan to go on to developing my own life skills curriculum catered to urban youth which will be taught in non-profit organizations such as Upward Bound. Granting me this scholarship will surely be a seed planted that will reap a great reward for years to come.”

NIA ELON BREWER 2019 Scholar

11

ASHLEY FITL

KENNA FRANK

JAKE GARRETT

GRACE GIEBLER

MARISSA HILL

THEA JOBST

EMILY LORENZEN

JOY ONDRAK

Major Pre-Elementary Education High School Millard North High School Hometown Omaha, Nebraska

Major Pre-Elementary Education High School Millard North High School Hometown Omaha, Nebraska

Major Pre-Secondary Education High School Millard West High School Hometown Omaha, Nebraska

Major Pre-Elementary Education High School Lincoln East High School Hometown Lincoln, Nebraska

Major Pre-Secondary Education High School V.J. & Angela Skutt Catholic High School Hometown Omaha, Nebraska

Major Pre-Elementary, Special Education High School Omaha Burke High School Hometown Omaha, Nebraska

Major Pre-Elementary Education High School Gretna High School Hometown Gretna, Nebraska

Major Pre-Elementary Education High School Fairbury High School Hometown Fairbury, Nebraska

“During kindergarten, I became friends with a girl named Reggie and we have been best friends ever since. Reggie was diagnosed at birth with epilepsy and cerebral palsy, a disability that limits her movement, learning, and speech. Over the years of being by Reggie’s side, I have learned how to assist her. She opened my eyes to a world full of inclusiveness and introduced me to other disabled students, who I fell in love with immediately. She is the inspiration and the reason I aspire to become a special education teacher. She taught me that even though students may have physical or learning disabilities, they all have so much love to give and a desire to be loved as well. I want to show my future students that they can accomplish any task with joy and determination. I want them to know that they matter.”

GRACE GIEBLER 2019 Scholar

TEACHERS SCHOLARS ACADEMY ANNUAL REPORT

12

2019 SCHOLAR PROFILES CONT.

ALAINA PIHLGREN

Major Pre-Elementary Education High School Norfolk High School Hometown Norfolk, Nebraska

CATHERINE TANGEMAN

Major Pre-Elementary Education High School Mercy High School Hometown Omaha, Nebraska

DANIELLE PROSOSKI Major Pre-Secondary Education High School Fullerton High School Hometown Fullerton, Nebraska

TEAGAN VAUGHAN

Major Pre-Elementary Education High School Papillion-La Vista High School Hometown Papillion, Nebraska

ASHLEY ROGERS

Major Pre-Secondary Education High School Westside High School Hometown Omaha, Nebraska

HANNAH SMITH

Major Pre-Secondary Education High School Millard North High School Hometown Omaha, Nebraska

MADISEN WILKINSON

Major Pre-Elementary Education High School Cozad High School Hometown Cozad, Nebraska

“Because of my financial situation, college was becoming less and less of a reality. I was determined to become a teacher, but I had accepted the fact that I would have to wait a little longer and work a lot harder to earn enough money for college. My counselor told me about this unbelievable scholarship, knowing it fit perfectly with my future plans. I am now able to go to college and impact future generations because of this opportunity. I am so excited to be a part of this group of students who are as passionate about teaching as I am and to have the support of this program. It’s encouraging to see that this organization and the people of Nebraska care about the students and teachers of our great state.”

MARISSA HILL 2019 Scholar

13

2020 SCHOLAR PROFILES

KENNEDY BRADBURN

Major Pre-Elementary Education High School Fort Calhoun Junior-Senior High School Hometown Fort Calhoun, Nebraska

AMAYA BRODINE

Major Pre-Elementary Education High School Omaha South High School Hometown Omaha, Nebraska

KAITLYN BRANDL

Major Pre-Secondary Education High School Columbus High School Hometown Columbus, Nebraska

KAPRI CASE

Major Pre-Elementary Education High School Millard South High School Hometown Omaha, Nebraska

EMILY BRASFIELD

Major Pre-Elementary Education High School Papillion La Vista South High School Hometown Papillion, Nebraska

LUCAS GAPPA

Major Pre-Secondary, Special Education High School Millard West High School Hometown Omaha, Nebraska

COURTNEY BRINK

Major Pre-Elementary Education High School Millard South High School Hometown Omaha, Nebraska

LAUREN GEARHART

Major Pre-Elementary Education High School Omaha Burke High School Hometown Omaha, Nebraska

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your support. I plan to major in Elementary Education with aspirations to become a third or fourth grade teacher. Another career goal is to teach a biliterate classroom where my students will be learning in both English and Spanish. I grew up in the Dual Language program and want to bring those same opportunities to my future students. This scholarship will not only lighten the financial burden but provide a support system.

After talking with current TSA members, I fell in love with the academy and I am more than grateful to be a part of it.”

AMAYA BRODINE 2020 Scholar

TEACHERS SCHOLARS ACADEMY ANNUAL REPORT

14

2020 SCHOLAR PROFILES CONT.

RENE GOLD

Major Pre-Elementary Education High School Papillion La Vista South High School Hometown Papillion, Nebraska

EMILY MANGANO

Major Pre-Elementary Education High School Papillion-La Vista High School Hometown Papillion, Nebraska

ALEYAH GOODWIN

Major Pre-Elementary Education High School Omaha Burke High School Hometown Omaha, Nebraska

HAILEE MUNHALL

Major Pre-Elementary Education High School Westside High School Hometown Omaha, Nebraska

ASHLEY HONEYMAN

Major Pre-Elementary Education High School Millard North High School Hometown Omaha, Nebraska

BRYAN PICHARDO-LARA

Major Pre-Secondary Education High School Omaha South High School Hometown Omaha, Nebraska

DANIELLE LAWRENCE

Major Pre-Elementary Education High School Papillion La Vista South High School Hometown Papillion, Nebraska

KELSIE PREMER

Major Pre-Secondary, Special Education High School Fort Calhoun Junior-Senior High School Hometown Fort Calhoun, Nebraska

“I believe that teachers are among the most influential people in the world and I hope to make a positive impact on the lives of young people. I was lucky enough to have teachers that taught me the importance of education. I am excited to embark on this journey at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and share my passion for education with the next generation.”

KENNEDY BRADBURN 2020 Scholar

15

ANDREA REYES

Major Pre-Secondary, Special Education High School Omaha South High School Hometown Omaha, Nebraska

HAYLEE UMBLE

Major Pre-Elementary Education High School Mitchell Junior/Senior High School Hometown Mitchell, Nebraska

IAN SCHMIDT

Major Pre-Elementary, Special Education High School Millard South High School Hometown Omaha, Nebraska

JESSE THIESSEN

Major Pre-Secondary Education High School Millard West High School Hometown Omaha, Nebraska

HAYDEN THOMAIER

Major Pre-Secondary Education High School Papillion La Vista South High School Hometown Papillion, Nebraska

TRINITY WEERS

Major Pre-Secondary Education High School Tri-Center High School Hometown Pottawattamie County, Iowa

“I am very excited to be going to UNO to get my degree in elementary education along with library sciences. The school library was always my favorite place to be, and I am looking forward to giving children the same love for reading that I have. I hope to teach in Omaha Public Schools so that I can continue to be a part of my community. I deeply appreciate this opportunity and I will strive to do my best in the education field.”

ASHLEY FITL 2019 Scholar

TEACHERS SCHOLARS ACADEMY ANNUAL REPORT

16

PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES

FALL RETREAT The Fall Retreat is the inaugural activity of the TSA seminar series and the group’s first opportunity to engage in activities designed to build community, communication skills, identify leadership strengths, and to create college and career goals.

FALL RETREAT GOALS: Omaha Outward Bound: Leadership development, team building, strengthening character, personal resiliency Reflection: To focus on learning new collaborative skills and communication strategies and apply them in professional and personal situations.

Teacher Scholars Academy Program Review: TSA candidates will be mindful of the resources, expectations, goals, and courses associated with the Teacher Scholars scholarship Goal Setting: Students will have a better understanding of long-term and short-term goals for success and plan of action to obtain them.

REDLINING CONVERSATIONS Experiential learning is a key part of the Teacher Scholar experience, including both service to the community and hands-on educational experiences. Through a service learning project this spring, the first TSA cohort partnered with Inclusive Communities, fifth-grade students from Crestridge Magnet Center, and the Union for Contemporary Art for a project, Redlining Conversations.

The project explored the history of Redlining in North and South Omaha and how those foundations of structural racism have had lingering effects on the Omaha community.

17

FROM THE SERVICE LEARNING ACADEMY: In the “Redlining Conversations” service learning project, students from UNO faculty member Gerry Huber’s Teacher Scholars Academy Human Relations course and Craig Wiles’ 5th-grade students from Crestridge Elementary worked with Inclusive Communities to explore how redlining impacts communities in Omaha. Inclusive Communities is an organization focused on human relations work that confronts prejudice, bigotry, and discrimination.

In the fall, students traveled to The Union for Contemporary Art to visit the “Undesign the Redline” exhibit. This was an introduction to the topic of redlining for both student groups and allowed them to fully witness the history of redlining across the nation and specifically in the state of Nebraska.

This semester, both student groups met on UNO’s campus to discuss and prepare for their presumed in-person Table Talk to present at the end of the semester as a culminating project. When restrictions for social distancing prevented students from meeting inperson, the project’s planners and students persevered.

In the new online format, UNO students led the Table Talks via Zoom with the 5th-grade students. UNO students prepared questions related to redlining and its continued impact on areas such as the economy, education, housing, health, segregation, transportation, employment, and current realities for communities in Omaha. The Table Talk series took place over four online sessions that each began with an online icebreaker and transitioned into breakout rooms, where groups further discussed that week’s redlining topic.

“The redlining experience served as a real eye-opener to myself and others. Before attending college, I had no knowledge of the modern-day segregation that is happening in the community. I knew about segregation occurring in the past but was unaware of the modern-day techniques, probably because they have evolved into becoming more discreet. This project has deeply expanded my knowledge of what the effects of segregation have come to. The projects all incorporated an abundance of information regarding many aspects of redlining that when combined built a strong foundation of knowledge about redlining.

Growing up, I came from a smaller community with very limited racial diversity. At the beginning of this project, it was hard for me to wrap my head around the idea due to the town I grew up in. After finishing my portion, as well as listening to others, I have gained a lot more knowledge and passion regarding the issue. As I gained more information about redlining’s secretive ways to discriminate against minorities, the more passionate I have become.”

2019 SCHOLAR in their Redlining Reflection paper

TEACHERS SCHOLARS ACADEMY ANNUAL REPORT

18

[ CEHHS.UNOM A H A .EDU/S CHOL A R S ]

CONTACT Gerry W. Huber, Ph.D. | Director ghuber@unomaha.edu | 402.554.2733 Roskens Hall, 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE 68182

@unoteacherscholars

The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its programs, activities, or employment. 0063RPTCOE0820