For more than two decades, graduates of Lander University’s Teaching Fellows Program have been a powerful force in classrooms around the state and nation as they have adapted to changing educational standards and requirements while guiding students on paths of success.
When Lander welcomes its freshman class to campus, 2025 will mark a significant milestone for Teaching Fellows at Lander. With 97 Teaching Fellows enrolled this fall, Lander will have its largest cohort of Fellows in the program’s 25-year history at the University. Students selected for the prestigious program receive up to $6,000 a year from the state-funded Center for Education, Recruitment, Retention and Advancement (CERRA) for their studies. In return, they commit to teaching in a South Carolina public school one year for every year that they receive the fellowship.
These alumni have helped address teaching shortages in South Carolina, especially in rural and high-need areas, said Dr. Tamara Pack, chair of Lander’s Department of Teacher Education and director of the Teaching Fellows Program.
“Lander’s Fellows have become award-winning teachers, school leaders, mentors and advocates for education,” Pack said. “The program not only prepares them for the classroom but encourages them to stay in-state and make a lasting impact in their communities.”
With its impressive history of growth and investment in the education of Teaching Fellows, “Lander has developed a strong legacy of educators who begin their careers with confidence and purpose,” Pack said. “Their influence can be seen in classrooms in South Carolina, Lander and beyond, where skilled passionate teachers are making a difference.”
Several aspects of the Teaching Fellows Program, in turn, contribute to the success of the College of Education, said Dr. Stephen Bismarck, the college’s dean.
“This program helps to recruit talented future teachers that demonstrate academic excellence, as well as a commitment to enriching the lives of children,” he said. “The Teaching Fellows program helps the teacher candidates grow into great teachers through targeted field experiences, community engagement and a continuous growth mentality, which are all critical aspects we strive to provide for all of our teacher candidates.”
Lander’s Teaching Fellows can be found in schools throughout the Lakelands, helping the University “contribute to the ongoing solid collaborations we have with local school districts,” Bismarck said.
Visit www.lander.edu/teaching-fellows to learn more about the Teaching Fellows Program at Lander.
This article was written in collaboration with the Index-Journal. You can read the original story, written by Mya Atten ’24, here: https://www.indexjournal.com/news/25-years-of-calling-one-record-cohort-landers-teaching-fellows/article_9338b8ea-e061-40e7-9951-bf2d190fdf66.html