At the Drake School of Education, we are transforming every day to achieve our mission to prepare, support, and inspire our students to lead and serve in a constantly changing world. We can do so because of the generous support of alumni and donors like you.
Nearly 850 undergraduate and graduate students are experiencing the transformational impact of a degree from the School of Education. Over the last five years, more than 99% of our alumni were employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation.
Our transformational impact is also visible in the work of our faculty. With Dr. Jill Johnson’s leadership, nearly 500 Des Moines Public School (DMPS) teachers have earned their master’s degree in education at Drake through the BLUE Program.
In addition, Dr. Jerrid Kruse and Dr. Lindsay Woodward were awarded a $628,791 National Science Foundation grant to fund research into how teachers understand and teach socioscientific literacy, which includes complex topics with social, cultural, scientific, and technical elements.
We also recently launched two new graduate programs and an accelerated undergraduate pathway to the classroom.
First, the Teacher Intern program allows individuals with a bachelor's degree in another field to complete coursework toward teacher licensure for middle school or high school subject areas in one year. In year two, interns begin full-time, paid teaching positions.
Second, Dr. Claire Muselman and Dr. Molly Shepard debuted the redesigned Master of Science in Leadership program for individuals who aspire to enhance their leadership skills and leave a lasting impact on their organization and society.
Finally, our first Three and Teach undergraduate students began their journey on an accelerated track to teacher licensure, which enables them to student teach in the fall of their fourth year and graduate a semester early.
Our transformational impact is also visible in our engagement with learners and leaders from across Iowa. We welcomed more than 120 teachers from across the state to the Emerging Educators Conference, which is designed to support teachers new to the profession.
And on Thursday April 17, we will again host the regional conference for Latinos in Action, an organization designed to build leadership and academic success skills for Latinx youth. Our events are designed to create a flow of strong current and future educators and create learning opportunities for the communities we serve.
The All In Giving Challenge is critical to each of our efforts. Your gift will empower us to transform every day and provide for the NOW that will build the better FUTURE for us all. Thank you for your support!
