PVAMU receives federal grant to strengthen teacher diversity in the country

PRAIRIE VIEWTexas (September 19, 2024) – The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Prairie View A&M University a prestigious grant through the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Program, part of a national initiative to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities in training well-prepared, diverse faculty for underserved communities. PVAMU will join three other HBCUs in receiving funding to continue its tradition of training highly qualified faculty who are critical to addressing the national diverse faculty shortage.

With this grant, the Biden-Harris administration underscores its commitment to increasing the number of teachers of color in elementary and secondary schools across the country. HBCUs like PVAMU have long played an important role in training a disproportionate share of the nation's teachers of color, accounting for nearly 50% of all Black educators in the U.S., according to a U.S. Department of Education press release. With the new $495,012 in funding, PVAMU will increase its efforts to recruit and retain future educators capable of providing culturally responsive instruction in underserved schools.

“Our country's wonderful diversity is one of our greatest cultural and economic strengths. The grants announced build on the Biden-Harris administration's historic investments in HBCUs and will help bring more teachers of color into classrooms and into STEM careers – two key occupations in today's and future workforce,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.

Below is a list of Hawkins Scholarships for HBCUs:

Morehouse College: $621,492
Prairie View A&M University: $495,012
Grambling State University: $378,939
North Carolina Central University: $122,325

Total: $1,617,012

Click here to view the full press release from the U.S. Department of Education.

-PVAMU-