University of Saint Joseph Receives Federal Grant to Support Secondary English and Social Studies Teachers
The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) has been awarded a grant under the federal 2012 Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) Grant Program administered by the State of Connecticut Office of Financial and Academic Affairs for Higher Education (OFAAHE). This grant, in the amount of $139,135, will support the project titled, "Citizen Twain: Using Humor and Satire to Effect Social Change," directed by University of Saint Joseph Assistant Professor of Education Meg Monaghan, Ph.D.
The grant will support a six-day summer institute for 40 secondary English and Social Studies teachers from New Britain, Hartford, and surrounding communities, which will be held at the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford from June 25 - 28, as well as the University of Saint Joseph's West Hartford campus on August 20 and 21. The Summer Institute and three academic-year follow-up sessions will help the teachers to create and implement classroom lessons based upon Mark Twain's works related to participatory citizenship (immigration, industrialization, civic service, and politics) and the new Common Core State Standards. The overall goal of the project is to develop students' college readiness skills.
"We are very proud that this funding acknowledges our highly-respected School of Education, its positive impact on teacher preparation, and our connections with local school districts," said University of Saint Joseph President Pamela Trotman Reid, Ph.D.
University of Saint Joseph faculty and staff who will be actively involved in "Citizen Twain: Using Humor and Satire to Effect Social Change" include: Meg Monaghan, Ph.D., assistant professor of Education and Grant Program Director; Kerry Driscoll, Ph.D., professor of English; Jennifer Cote, Ph.D., assistant professor of History; Marialice Curran, Ph.D., assistant professor of Education; Tami Devine Fagan '97, M.A., co-director of the Center for Academic Excellence; Linda Labbadia, J.D., assistant professor of Education; and Kimberly Richard, Ph.D., assistant professor of Education.
