Exploring the Aspiring Teaching Fellowship’s Structure and Its Effectiveness in the Retention of BIPOC Educators (Poster 9): Division J - Section 2a: College Student Access, Trajectories, and Transitions, 9:40 AM

• In Event: e-Lightening Ed-Talk Session 16

Abstract

There is a need in the United States to diversify the education workforce. One way to diversify the workforce is to create university programs aimed at recruiting and retaining Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) entering teaching. Researchers explored the goals, structures, and processes of the Aspiring Teacher Fellowship (ATF) at Justice University to determine to what extent it addressed challenges in the recruitment and retention of BIPOC students at a Predominantly White University (PWI). This study included 11 semi-structured interviews, a focus group, and a document review. The findings indicated the ATF built participants’ Sense of Belonging, Sense of Community, and Interest in Social Justice, while ultimately producing academic success and creating an overall sense of social cohesion.

Authors

• Keisha Robinson, Arcadia University

• Marc Brasof, Arcadia University

• Priscilla Jeter-Illes, Arcadia University