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UT Tyler Receives $100k Grant From T.L.L. Temple Foundation
Follow @UTTylerTweetFebruary 9, 2021
Media Contact: Beverley Golden
Senior Director of Media Relations
Marketing and Communications
The University of Texas at Tyler
903.566.7303
The University of Texas at Tyler has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the T.L.L Temple Foundation in Lufkin to help support the partnership with Panola College to produce more teachers.
“We are extremely grateful to the T.L.L. Temple Foundation for the continued support of The University of Texas,” said UT Tyler President Kirk A. Calhoun, MD, FACP. “In a time when qualified teachers are in high demand, this grant will help UT Tyler and Panola College address that need not only in East Texas, but also across the state of Texas.”
Texas is currently experiencing a teacher shortage, so UT Tyler is offering its Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (education) degree at Panola College to make the degree more accessible. Students in the Panola College Associate of Arts in Teaching degree program can enroll at UT Tyler and take all UT Tyler early childhood through 6 grade (EC-6) courses on the Panola College campus.
The EC-6 program prepares students to teach English, mathematics, science, social studies, music, art, health and physical education at the elementary level.
Rural East Texas communities have a strong need for qualified K-12 educators. Many undergraduate students lack the ability to access four-year degree programs due to a host of barriers, which are magnified in the current economic climate.
“The creation of a baccalaureate teacher preparation program at Panola College makes teaching a more viable option for many students coming from rural districts. It provides a pathway in which students can earn the degree while living at home, an option that is important for many of them,” said Dr. Wes Hickey, UT Tyler College of Education and Psychology dean.
“The T.L.L. Temple Foundation is committed to elevating East Texas as a regional leader in rural education,” said T.L.L. Temple Foundation president and CEO Dr. Wynn Rosser. “Our strategy focuses on strengthening rural programs and partnerships that help students complete postsecondary degrees and credentials that lead to high value jobs. For the future of our rural communities, no job is more valuable than teachers, so we’re proud to break down barriers for the next generation of rural teachers here in East Texas.”
The grant will partially fund operational expenses for the first two years of the program.
With a mission to improve educational and healthcare outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 80 undergraduate and graduate programs to 10,000 students. Through its alignment with UT Health Science Center at Tyler and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with innovative medical research, medical education and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.
About T.L.L. Temple Foundation: The T.L.L. Temple Foundation works alongside rural communities to build a thriving East Texas and to alleviate poverty, creating access and opportunities for all. Since its founding in 1962 by Mrs. Georgie Temple Munz, the T.L.L. Temple Foundation has invested more than $500 million primarily to strengthen communities in rural East Texas. For more information about the foundation, visit www.tlltemple.foundation.