Initiative to promote teacher education, enhancement of schools, health, nutrition and literacy education, and the expansion of youth opportunities in Athol, Orange, and Mahar school districts.
Officials from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, distinguished alumnus Bill Cosby, and the superintendents of the of Athol-Royalston, Orange, and Mahar Regional school districts will introduce “Bridges to the Future: UMass Amherst-Community Partnerships for Success in Athol and Orange Massachusetts,” March 15 from 1:30-3 p.m. at the Pleasant Street School in Athol. This initiative, inspired by the vision and commitment of Bill Cosby, is intended to promote teacher education, the enhancement of local schools, health, nutrition and literacy education, and the expansion of youth opportunities in both communities.
The event will include a visit to the school and brief remarks by Cosby, UMass Amherst Chancellor John V. Lombardi, Provost Charlena Seymour, and Dean of Education Andrew Effrat, as well as Athol-Royalston School Superintendent Dana Parker, Orange School Superintendent Paul Burnim, and Mahar Regional School Superintendent Eileen Perkins.
“Bridges to the Future” will bring University programs and resources, working in collaboration with the local school districts and community groups, to meet the challenges of rural communities. It will include a new, year-long on-site teacher preparation program that is being planned to begin in the Athol, Orange and Mahar Regional school systems in fall of 2004. It is expected that about 40 teacher candidates will complete their internships in the Athol, Orange and Mahar schools as part of their master’s degree and teacher licensure training and to work closely with local teachers. These programs have been highly successful in other communities in helping to attract, prepare and retain new teachers. It is hoped that many of the teacher candidates admitted to the program will be from the local area.
Also, in conjunction with the teacher preparation program and in collaboration with the North Quabbin Community Coalition, the teacher interns will undertake service learning projects in such areas as physical, health and nutrition education, early and adult literacy, future teacher and college awareness clubs, and other ways for the University to support the communities and help to expand the opportunities in this area.
Literacy education, community development, and support for teachers and schools have been a long-term goal of Cosby who received his doctoral degree from the UMass Amherst School of Education in 1976. In his recent book on education, American Schools: The 100 Billion Dollar Challenge, co-authored with Dwight Allen, Cosby wrote: “Education is the key for our success, individually and collectively. We must build a new educational system that expects to constantly upgrade its response, one that has the ability to transform itself.”
Of particular local interest is the fact that one of the key developers of the program, Ruth-Ellen Verock O’Loughlin, was born and raised in Athol, taught in Orange, and is now returning as a UMass Amherst faculty member to help bring these programs into existence.
Commenting on the new partnership, Lombardi says, “We are honored that Bill Cosby, a distinguished alumnus of our School of Education, has shown such interest and support for this initiative. A university’s mission is to provide an environment where teaching and learning, service and outreach, and discovery and creativity can flourish—whether that be on campus or in nearby communities. We are anxious to support and extend the educational programs for children and adult learners in the communities of Athol and Orange as we have done in so many other communities in our Commonwealth.”
Effrat added, “The key aspects of this collaboration—close work with the school systems to form Professional Development Districts in the planning and delivery of this program, intensive on-site internships and course work, the effort to recruit local people, and the strong community linkage—make this a cutting-edge initiative. I am delighted with how welcome we have been made to feel by the teachers, administrators and community members in Athol and Orange.”
The plan also has strong local support. The Superintendent of the Athol-Royalston Regional School District has indicated that he wholeheartedly endorses this collaboration with the University, Mahar Regional and Orange Elementary Schools. “Investing in this community is the most important thing we can do for our children,” says Dana Parker, Superintendent.
Paul Burnim, Superintendent in Orange, states that, “We are continually trying to improve our educational services to children and their families. This partnership will support us in this endeavor through the university’s education research, instruction, and grant program capacities. We look forward to a long-term relationship with the School of Education and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.”
Superintendent Eileen Perkins of the Mahar Regional School District added, “For a public high school to have the advantage of the expertise of the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a true win-win situation.”