Welcoming the newest class of Michigan Teaching Fellows to high-needs schools

A fighter pilot, a pastor, a sea kayak instructor and many other extraordinary individuals are among the 2012 cohort of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Woodrow Wilson Michigan Teaching Fellowship announced today at the Michigan State Capitol.

Sterling Speirn, president and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation joined Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and Arthur Levine, president of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, to announce the 74 recipients of the highly competitive Fellowship. Speirn spoke about the critical role teachers play in their students’ lives and said that “behind every successful kid is an effective teacher.”

They were joined by six representatives from the 2012 class, including Mr. Peter Benson, who will attend University of Michigan; Ms. Erin Berner, Grand Valley State University; Mr. Cory Chavis, Eastern Michigan University; Mr. Fletcher Daniels, Michigan State University; Ms. Danielle Rosen, Western Michigan University; and Ms. Cheryl Young, Wayne State University. Mr. Mitchell Overway, a fellow from the inaugural 2011 class, was also present to share highlights from his experience in the program.
 
Making a commitment to teach for three years, each fellow will receive $30,000 to complete a specially designed, cutting-edge master’s degree program preparing them to teach in Michigan’s high-need urban and rural secondary schools. As part of the Fellowship, they will complete their clinical placements in nine partner school districts, including Battle Creek, Benton Harbor, Detroit, Godfrey-Lee, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Wyoming and Ypsilanti.

“The W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Woodrow Wilson Michigan Teaching Fellows are bringing great skills in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) to help students succeed,” said Gov. Snyder.
The WKKF-WW fellows are rising to meet the challenge of improving the effectiveness of STEM teaching in the state of Michigan. By preparing and placing first-class math and science teachers in some of Michigan’s most underserved public schools, the program will eventually provide more than 100,000 students with the level of instruction they need to contribute and thrive in Michigan’s rapidly changing economy and workforce.

For more information on the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Woodrow Wilson Michigan Teaching Fellowship, click here.