In recognition of American Education Week, Nov. 11–15, Walden University awarded $5,000 Educator for a Day Grants to three schools: Times Squared Academy in Providence, R.I.; South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind in Spartanburg, S.C.; and Conerly Road School in Somerset, N.J.

Recipients were selected from more than 150 nominations submitted by faculty and administrators across the United States. Each school will host at least one aspiring educator who will shadow a teacher during the school day. 

Walden created the grant initiative to honor the teaching profession and to reward teachers and their students for their commitment to education. The program also aims to foster awareness of the need for more teachers and of the benefits of the teaching profession.

“Each recipient uniquely demonstrated a commitment to the work of our nation’s teachers and is an inspiration to those of us in higher education who are focused on helping teachers gain the necessary education and training to succeed in their professions and make a difference in the lives of our children,” said Jonathan A. Kaplan, J.D., president of Walden University.

Times Squared Academy
“Our academic programs are above standard in our district, and the school climate is very conducive to academic and social excellence, which enables each student to perform at his or her best,” said Eze Aso, a science teacher at Times Squared Academy, who submitted the winning nomination. The Times Squared Academy high school, is one of two charter schools in the Providence Public School District, and serves primarily an urban, multicultural student body whose graduation rate is 100 percent, according to the Rhode Island Department of Education.

“We will use the grant to increase the number of college visits for the present junior class and to expand and improve our College Readiness Center, enabling our seniors to get ready for college. We also plan to use the funds to start an after-school program for non-Times Squared Academy students who reside in the neighborhood, such as adults who want to go back to school and obtain a G.E.D. This grant money will help us share our success over the years with the surrounding communities,” Aso said.

South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind
“The South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind is the only specialized school in the state serving a full population of sensory disabled students. A stigma still exists that focuses on what our students can not do. We focus on what our students can do. Our students are wonderfully talented, funny, hard-working and also challenging,” said Linda T. Coon, career specialist who nominated the school.

“This grant will be used to continue building our Career PREP Center for students. Statistics tell us that disabled students face increased challenges as they leave school and enter the workforce in their communities. Career planning becomes part of their education as we connect what they are doing in the classroom today with plans they make for their own futue,” Coon said.

Conerly Road School
“Our mission is to provide excellent educational opportunities for every student, maintain an environment that engenders an appreciation of the value of every student, develop every student to his/her highest potential, and instill the attitudes, skills and knowledge necessary to become contributing members of a democratic, multicultural society,” said Donna Silva Burnett, Conerly Road School's principal/administrator, who nominated her school for the grant.

“Like most New Jersey urban schools, my school is experiencing a population explosion, resulting in a wide gap between the diversity of students in my school and the ethnic characteristics of the teaching force. A Walden Educator for a Day Grant will help to bridge this gap by providing funding for Professional Learning Workshops on diversity for teachers,” she said.

Burnett added that Conerly Road School is unique because it embraces diversity and promotes world peace through its well-organized Peace Circle. “Our mission is to build bridges of cultural understanding and mutual respect through art and media projects that promote world peace. We provide our students with practical and effective tools to create and maintain a culture of peace and community. Last year our students participated in the Global Mural Exchange Program and designed a mural that was presented at the United Nations,” she said.

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