Fifth class of Woodrow Wilson Indiana Teaching Fellows announced at Statehouse

  • May 22, 2013

INDIANAPOLIS -- Gov. Mike Pence has announced the 2013 class of Woodrow Wilson Indiana Teaching Fellows. The fellows are top recent graduates and accomplished career changers in the STEM fields -- science, mathematics, engineering and technology -- who will teach math and science in Indiana’s urban and rural schools.

Each fellow receives a $30,000 stipend to complete a special intensive master’s program at one of four Indiana partner universities: Ball State University, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Purdue University or the University of Indianapolis. These universities have redesigned teacher preparation to focus on a yearlong experience in local classrooms, as well as specific STEM teaching approaches.

“Indiana has the best teachers in the nation, and this class of the Woodrow Wilson Indiana Teaching Fellows will add to that talent pool," Pence said. “I am pleased to recognize the great academic accomplishments of our state’s future teachers and to celebrate the dynamic leadership they will bring to the important task of educating Hoosier students.”

Following a rigorous yearlong application and selection process, the foundation has named 30 new Woodrow Wilson Indiana Teaching Fellows, 28 of whom will start their programs this summer, with another two later in the year. After a year of classroom-based preparation, fellows commit to teach for at least three years in a high-need Indiana school, with ongoing support and mentoring. The new fellows, who begin their master’s work this summer, will be ready to enter their own classrooms in fall 2014.

“The Woodrow Wilson Fellowship is a tremendous opportunity for individuals choosing to teach as a second career and a great partnership with the Woodrow Wilson Foundation, the State of Indiana and IUPUI to bring talented teachers to Indiana classrooms,” IUPUI Chancellor Charles R. Bantz said.

Woodrow Wilson Indiana Teaching Fellows have been named each year since 2009, representing 226 new teacher candidates for Indiana. Members of the first three classes are now teaching around the state, with those named in 2012 now ready to enter the classroom on their own.

New IUPUI Woodrow Wilson Indiana Teaching Fellows Saquanda Turner and Shawn Hanes were among the 2013 fellows invited to the governor’s office for today’s announcement. Sheila Pritchett, a 2010 fellow who now teaches biology and Project Lead the Way at Arsenal Technical High School in Indianapolis, also attended.

“Our program offers a unique range of options for Woodrow Wilson Fellows,” said Kathy Marrs, director of the Woodrow Wilson Indiana Teaching Fellowship program at IUPUI. “Fellows select one of three degree programs -- the M.S. in education, M.S. in mathematics or M.S. in technology education -- and have an additional option for dual certification in special education during their clinical residency year. These options allow our fellows to provide a high-quality STEM education to all students, particularly those in high-need schools.”

The fellowship has been funded with grants from Lilly Endowment Inc. and supplemental state support. The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation of Princeton, N.J., administers the program. Launched in Indiana in 2007, the fellowship has since been established in three other states: Ohio, Michigan and New Jersey.

“We estimate that the Woodrow Wilson Indiana Teaching Fellows to date will reach more than 22,000 students every year,” said Arthur Levine, president of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. “The fellows represent a 25 percent annual increase in Indiana’s supply of STEM teachers. Veteran teachers are reporting that, even in their clinical year, fellows are an extraordinary resource in the classroom. Beyond that, the four university partners have enhanced the way they prepare STEM teachers, and that too has a ripple effect for the other teachers they graduate, and for classrooms around the state.”

Founded in 1945, the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation identifies and develops leaders and institutions to meet the nation’s critical challenges.

Woodrow Wilson Fellows Announced.

Woodrow Wilson Fellows Announced.

Print-Quality Photo

Media Contacts

Diane Brown

  • Indianapolis
  • Office 317-274-2195
  • habrown@iu.edu

Beverly Sanford

WW National Fellowship Foundation

  • WW National Fellowship Foundation
  • Office 609-945-7885
  • sanford@woodrow.org