SKIP TO PAGE CONTENT

Walsh University Receives Grant to Address Educator Shortage

As school districts in Northeast Ohio and across the country struggle to find and retain permanent teachers, substitute teachers and staff, Walsh University was selected to receive a grant from the Ohio Department of Higher Education to help address the shortages.

Funding totaling $5.2 million has been awarded to 29 four-year colleges and universities as part of a comprehensive statewide effort to address the shortages in Ohio.  Walsh received $150,000 to target populations that could enter the workforce within one or two years.  The funds will be used to offer scholarships to education students graduating from two-year colleges, such as Stark State and Cuyahoga Community College. 

Students with a two-year associate’s degree in Education are encouraged to apply. Applicants must have a GPA of at least a 3.0, be a U.S. citizen and demonstrate financial need.  Educators must be committed to teach in an underserved Ohio school district and have a valid BCI/FBI background check with no convictions on file.  The 15 highly-qualified educator candidates will begin taking classes at Walsh in the fall.

Assistant Professor of Education Eugenia Johnson-Whitt said the scholarship students would enroll in a four-semester program that starts with an intensive summer session. By the end, the students would have enough credits to complete a bachelor’s degree while acquiring at least two teaching licenses, with one of them certifying them to work with students with special needs. The dual licensure will prepare students to support high-need students within underserved districts, a key focus area for state officials.