College of Education News

Missouri State receives $70,000 grant to promote education programs

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Thanks to a $70,000 grant award from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Missouri State University will be able to draw students into the education field. 

The funds are part of the annual Developing an Educator Workforce that Expands Yearly (DEWEY) Awards. 

Dr. Denise Cunningham, a professor in the School of Teaching, Learning and Developmental Sciences and a co-director for the Center for Rural Education, wrote the grant proposal. She believed MSU’s College of Education could meet the state’s need for more teachers.  

“The new report out by the DESE, states the highest shortage areas are elementary education and early childhood education teachers,” she said. “MSU is in the position to be able to meet that need.” 

The grant money will go toward a range of on campus high school recruitment events. These events aim to draw students into the teaching field, often from rural backgrounds.  

Bears Teach 

The DEWEY grant will fund the college’s summer immersion program, Bears Teach. This residential program allows students to stay on campus for a week to participate in education-related activities.  

The students are involved in: 

  • Sessions about college funding and finances 
  • Sessions about student organizations 
  • Classroom observations in their chosen field 
  • Alumni banquet – students can ask questions of current professionals 
  • Leadership night – students learn about the education career ladder 
  • Springfield experiences, such as a Springfield Cardinals game and Incredible Pizza 
  • Fun activities, such as karaoke night and movie night. 

According to Cunningham, the Bears Teach experience is designed to help students acclimate to campus life and familiarize themselves with Springfield.  

“After students come to Bears Teach, they say things like, ‘This cemented my decision to come to MSU and be a teacher,’” Cunningham said. “That’s why we do this.” 

Bears Teach Academy  

In her proposal, Cunningham also added a new program — Bears Teach Academy — to the list.  The academy will allow students who have previously attended Bears Teach and are beginning at MSU in fall 2025 to attend Bears Teach again in summer 2025. 

These students will also be able to take Child and Family Development (CFD) 155 Principles of Human Development for free as part of their experience. This course will count three credit hours as a general education course.  

Through these program offerings, Cunningham believes students will gain many opportunities to see what the teaching profession has to offer them.  

“We want to show high school students a variety of teaching settings and convince them that teaching is a joyful profession,” Cunningham said. “If we do that, we can meet the teacher shortage needs.” 

Young Mathematics Teacher Academy 

When submitting the grant, Cunningham made an effort to include funding for mathematics educators. As such, part of the money will support the mathematics department’s annual Young Mathematics Teacher Academy.  

Held in the summer, the residential academy helps participants to deepen their understanding of math and learn teaching strategies that support active learning.  

Cunningham notes math teachers are much needed.  

“Mathematics is a highly sought after degree by school districts, so I felt it was important to allocate funding to that area to encourage more students to be math teachers,” she said. 

Working with children and families 

One of the events funded by the DEWEY grant includes the “Working with children and families” fall and spring events. Local high schools bring students to the MSU campus to learn about education programs. 

The students can pick a breakout session to attend, which involves a hands-on experience with the career field. A panel of current education students speak at these events, sharing their experience as an MSU student.  

Students are also able to tour the campus and enjoy a free lunch.  

“Be a career and technical education teacher” day 

In addition, the funding from the DEWEY grant helps the career and technical education program (CTE) host students interested in agriculture education, business education or family and consumer sciences 

These students participate in activities based on their content area, hear from a panel of current MSU students and learn about admission and advising. Students also tour the MSU campus and are given a complimentary lunch. 

Learn more about the College of Education

Missouri State launches education doctorate

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Education degree seeking students now have another option to pursue at Missouri State University.  

The university will offer the Doctor of Education in Leadership, Learning and Education Change beginning in fall 2025. This is the first doctoral degree offered by the College of Education. 

 “This degree is for individuals who want to assume leadership in not just schools, but also in universities and education-related nonprofits,” said Dr. Nicole West, the program’s director and an associate professor. “This degree is less about any particular educational institutional type, as it is about impacting and transforming education.” 

 “It is in direct alignment with the university’s public affairs mission to create culturally competent, ethical leaders who are community engaged. Developing this program is living out our mission in a tangible way.” 

Degree details 

The EdD is a part-time, seated and cohort-based program for education professionals. This 55-credit hour degree is designed to be completed in three years and will culminate in a dissertation-in-practice. It includes: 

  • A core curriculum of 25 credit hours 
  • A specialized area of interest of 18-28 credit hours 
  • Dissertation-related coursework of 12 credit hours  

“This curriculum was built with adult learners and working professionals in mind,” West said. “It can be tailored to each student’s specific interests and aspirations.”   

Applications for the first cohort of 15 will open Sept. 5.  

Carnegie Project  

With the program’s launch, the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate invited Missouri State to join its network of more than 135 institutional members that are redesigning professional practice preparation in education for the improvement of PK-20 education.   

CPED institution members are a network that stimulates each institution’s work and provides space for sharing, learning and providing feedback in a national dialogue.   

“The EdD is really its own degree. It’s a professional degree focused on enhancing educational systems and practices,” West said. “The Carnegie Project brings together institutions with similarly focused EdD programs and leverages their expertise to improve programs nationwide.”   

New members are chosen through a rigorous application process and evaluated by a membership committee comprising leaders of current CPED members.  

  

Faculty member chosen as Fulbright U.S. Scholar

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In January 2025, Missouri State University’s Dr. Paul Ajuwon will travel back to his home country of Nigeria as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar.

A professor in the School of Special Education, Leadership and Professional Studies at Missouri State, Ajuwon received a Fulbright Scholar award for 2024-25. These awards are prestigious and competitive fellowships that enable scholars to teach, conduct research and carry out community and professional projects worldwide.

Ajuwon will work at a host institution, the University of Calabar in southeast Nigeria.

“This is my first time applying for this program, so it’s exciting to get this award,” Ajuwon said. “Since I’m originally from Nigeria, I know the educational landscape very well and the challenges people over there face. I’m happy to go back to provide some service.”

As a blind individual growing up in Nigeria, Ajuwon is familiar with obstacles the vulnerable and disadvantaged in the country encounter.

“We need the external collaboration and support from countries like the United States. This is a compelling reason for me to step forward and see how I can help,” he said. “I’m glad this initiative aligns well with Missouri State’s vision and mission of global education and engagement.”

Enhancing the quality of education

For half a year, Ajuwon will help the University of Calabar’s special education department to strengthen their curriculum, resources and community outreach.

He will co-teach a few courses focusing on areas, such as inclusive education; assistive technology application; family involvement in the education of children with disabilities; and issues pertaining to mathematics and Braille literacies for undergraduate and graduate students.

“These are very current topical issues that several of the institutions in Nigeria are grappling with, so I’ll provide them some practical instruction,” Ajuwon said.

In terms of research, he will collaborate with colleagues there. In addition, he will interact with the stakeholders — families of children with disabilities, university administrators, policymakers, etc. — to fully understand their experiences, concerns and needs.

“I want to find out directly from them how we can contribute to remedy the problems they face in the process of building a sustainable system for educating and increasing the employability and integration of the vulnerable in the Nigerian society,” Ajuwon said.

About the Fulbright Program

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program and is supported by the people of the United States and partner countries around the world.

It is funded mainly through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Part of the Fulbright Program, the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program offers over 400 awards in more than 135 countries for U.S. citizens to make an impact abroad.

Applications are currently open for the 2025-26 Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program (deadline Sept. 16, 2024).

Making global engagement a focus

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Last fall, the College of Education at Missouri State University unveiled its Global Education Lab. It’s a collaborative place for teaching and learning about the world and its people. 

Located on the top floor of Hill Hall, the lab has a special focus on educational strategies. 

Missouri State’s Dr. Jennice McCafferty-Wright help to set up the lab and oversees it. She’s assistant professor in the School of Teaching, Learning and Developmental Sciences and dean’s fellow for global education.

She talks about the work taking place in the lab.

Preparing Citizen Bears for the world

Read the full transcript

To find out more about the Global Education Lab, including how to collaborate on projects, send an e-mail to globaledlab@missouristate.edu.

MSU expert: Let’s celebrate teachers by paying them more

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Yesterday was the first day of National Teacher Appreciation Week, officially dedicated to say thank you to the extraordinary educators who work tirelessly with students and families throughout the year.

Dr. Jon Turner, associate professor of education and leadership at Missouri State University, spends much of his time advocating for Missouri teachers, especially in rural districts.

This year, he says there are simply less teachers to appreciate as a national shortage continues to plague the profession.

Turner talks about the reasons why and what we can do to fix it going forward.

What can be done to fix the teacher shortage issue

Read the full transcript