College of Education and Social Work

Philly based program aims to increase the number of black male teachers.

Research suggests that Black students who have one Black teacher are more likely to graduate from high school and pursue higher education by 13 percent. This number rises to 32 percent for Black students who have had two or more. The Center for Black Educator Development sees the monumental value in this research and strives to ensure that the teacher workforce is diversified, which only accounts for seven percent of Black teachers. The Black Teacher Pipeline, created and developed by the center based in the Philadelphia area, seeks out Black students that intend to pursue the field of education. The pipeline program provides financial support and professional development to its members for their entire college career and the first four years of their teaching career. This is to ultimately ensure that the students who are part of this program have a successful transition into the teacher workforce.

Imere Williams is a member of West Chester University’s Class of 2024 and a Middle Grades Preparation major in The College of Education and Social Work. He is also the former Student Representative of the Philadelphia Board of Education. Imere was recently inducted into the inaugural cohort of the Black Teacher Pipeline. With hopes of returning to Philadelphia to teach, Imere is excited for what is to come in the pipeline and experiencing the positive changes that it will impose.

For more information on applying for the teacher pipeline visit: https://www.thecenterblacked.org/teaching-pathways

Faculty from across the College of Education and Social Work have been leading several exciting efforts within WCU’s Anti-Racism Working Group (ARWG). The group is an action-oriented community working to increase awareness and advocacy to overcome racism. ARWG is composed of WCU faculty, staff, and students across 25 departments and 4 WCU locations, all of which are committed to racial equity. Members complete and share anti-racist work in their day-to-day activities and interactions at WCU. Areas of work include education/dialogue, policy/practice, and scholarship/community engagement. Membership in the ARWG provides students with both participation and leadership opportunities to work on projects and contribute to conversations about anti-racism and inequity. The ARWG drives inclusion and celebrates the diversity of faculty, staff, and students in the WCU community.

ARWG received the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion grant for three different cycles 2019-2020, 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 for a total of $ 24,560. The overall funding for the three years includes ODEI grants, department and match funds, and work-study monies. The overwhelming majority went to students and consultants of color, as well as local businesses owned by people of color. Projects include integrating the knowledge and information learned about anti-racism into the classroom and field placements. One of the most recent projects was research, titled: Anti Racism Working Group: Exploring the Results of an Interdisciplinary Partnership at a Large Public University. The article was published in the journal Advances in Social Work and a presentation was also made at The International Association for Social Work with Groups (IASWG) 2021 conference. There are plans to present the group’s recent accomplishments this April. This article was a collaborative venture of five faculty and two students (now alumni) in the College of Education and Social Work and others across WCU’s locations: Anaïs Bailly, Benjamin P. Brumley, Megan A. Mraz, Benjamin S. Morgan, Gwenelle Styles O'Neal, Brie Radis, Susan R. Wysor Nguema, Colleen Keeler, Mia Ocean, and Erin N. Spencer.

If you are interested in being involved in ARWG please reach out to Gwenelle Styles O'Neal: goneal@wcupa.edu, Mia Ocean, mocean@wcupa.edu, or Brie Radis, bradis@wcupa.edu

Last year, West Chester University received just under $500,000 from the PA Department of Education for an initiative titled STEM Education for Sustainability – Linking Schools and Communities. The primary aim is to empower Philadelphia high school students to directly impact their communities by addressing issues of sustainability and social, environmental, and climate justice. The project expands student access and engagement in Green STEM education through teacher professional development in Education for Sustainability and engages students in linking classroom learning to civic action and Green STEM careers. From August 9-20, 2020, the project kicked off with a two-week Institute for teams of teachers (40 total) from 11 different schools in Philadelphia. Throughout this academic year the school teams will be working with their high school students, supported by a college intern from one of the regional institutions, on community-based projects promoting sustainability as well as social and environmental justice.

The initiative is led by Dr. Paul Morgan from WCU’s Department of Educational Foundations and Policy Studies and Dr. Victor Donnay, a Professor of Math at Bryn Mawr College and the Executive Director of PRISE (Philadelphia Regional Institute for STEM Educators). The project coordinator is Kermit O who recently graduated from WCU with an M.S. in Transformative Education & Social Change. Joining the project team in January as Honors Research Scholars are three WCU undergraduates: Jocelyn Brown, Audrey Carson, and Zachary Zajkowski. Key partners in the initiative are PRISE, PHENND (Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development), and Green Allies.