Pictured (from left) Barbara George Johnson, executive director, the John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy; Nelida Valentin, vice president, Grants and Programs, Princeton Area Community Foundation; and John P. Thurber, vice president for Public Affairs, Thomas Edison State University.
TRENTON, N.J. - Thomas Edison State University has received a $47,240 grant from the Princeton Area Community Foundation in support of the institution’s New Jersey Cultural Competency and English Language Learners (ELL) Summer Institute and Mentoring Program based in The John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy.
The Program is supported by a Community Impact Grant from the Community Foundation, which is intended to fund organizations whose initiatives transform the lives of low-income individuals, families and communities. The grant will support the mentoring component for 15 classroom teachers who will be trained this spring and begin monthly mentoring shortly thereafter.
“We are grateful for the continued generosity of the Princeton Area Community Foundation in support of the institution’s New Jersey Cultural Competency and English Language Learners (ELL) Summer Institute and Mentoring Program,” said Barbara George Johnson, executive director of The John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy at the university. “This funding will allow us to further engage educators in a dialogue about the connection between culture and language as an anchor for academic success, giving teachers the ability to be more culturally responsive to their students.”
The Program is an 11-year, evidence-based professional development model that transforms the thinking and practices of teachers (Pre-K to fifth grade) to improve the interactions and instruction of English language learners (ELL) so that they will be able to academically succeed within the context of their strong cultural identities.
“Our Community Impact grants work to transform the lives of low-income individuals, families and communities,” said Jeffrey M. Vega, President & CEO of the Community Foundation. “The University’s program has an 11-year track record of success, and teachers in 15 more classrooms, as well as their students, will benefit from it.”
This year’s Program will continue its partnership exclusively with the Trenton Public Schools, making it the second collaborative year with the district’s teachers in grades Pre-K to fifth. The Program is expected to impact 700 students in one school in the city of Trenton.
Toni M. Terry, BA