2. News Room

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, March 6, 2020
CONTACT: DWD Communications, 608-266-2722
On the Web: http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/news/
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WIWorkforce
On Twitter: @WIWorkforce

DWD Awards Teacher Training and Recruitment Grants for Nonprofit Organizations

Teacher training and recruitment grants go to nonprofit organizations to recruit and prepare individuals to teach in public or private schools in low-income or urban school districts in Wisconsin.

MADISON – The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) has awarded nearly $1 million in Wisconsin Fast Forward (WFF) Teacher Training and Recruitment grants to two nonprofit organizations to recruit and prepare individuals to teach in public or private schools in Wisconsin.

"The Wisconsin Fast Forward program is investing in our teachers and our students," DWD Secretary Caleb Frostman said. "Wisconsin is facing unprecedented teacher shortages and these grants will help alleviate this issue in low-income and urban school districts where Wisconsin teacher shortages are most concerning."

DWD granted $500,000 to City Forward Collective for the recruitment, training, and mentoring of 140 new teachers in the City of Milwaukee. Wisconsin Fast Forward funds will be utilized to expand the innovative and successful Emerging Educators program piloted by Milwaukee Public Schools. Paraprofessionals currently working in urban schools serving low-income students will complete degrees and teacher certification at either Alverno College or Viterbo University.

DWD granted $499,850 to Urban League of Greater Madison in support of the Urban Educator Pipeline program. In partnership with the Madison Metropolitan School District and Verona Area School District, Urban League of Greater Madison will utilize Wisconsin Fast Forward funding to recruit, train, coach, and place 32 newly licensed teachers. The program will focus on recruiting teachers in the high need area of Special Education and ESL/bilingual education. While teaching, recruits of the program will earn credits toward their licensure at either the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education or Edgewood College.

The WFF Teacher Training and Recruitment program is a state-funded annual grant program open to non-profit organizations that can demonstrate a critical need to recruit, train, and prepare individuals to teach in low-income or urban Wisconsin schools. Nineteen organizations applied for just over $6 million in funding.

For more information, please visit http://wisconsinfastforward.com/default.htm