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鈥淭oday鈥檚 an exciting day,鈥� declared an animated Dr. Susan Johnson, director of undergraduate education at 菠萝视频app. 鈥淲e鈥檙e getting our laptops!鈥�

With that, she passed out boxed personal computers to five eager 2023 graduates of Erie High School enrolled in the Department of Education鈥檚 newest program: NextGen814. The initiative, designed to increase the number of teacher candidates in Pennsylvania who are racially, ethnically, socioeconomically, and linguistically diverse, earned top funding of $100,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Education鈥檚 Innovative Teacher Prep2Practice Grant Program earlier this year.

The students chosen to participate are getting acclimated to college life this summer, taking six credits in teacher preparation classes, before starting full time in the fall. All received Erie Promise Grants from the university that cover unmet tuition costs. The cohort also has access to high-quality academic advising and mentoring. Current pre-service teachers in the Education Department as well as teachers of color in Erie City Schools will serve as mentors.

Students will be introduced to their respective mentors at a special reception on Monday, Aug. 21, at 3 p.m., in Mercy Heritage Room.

鈥淭he US has a chronic issue of recruiting and retaining teachers, especially in the post-COVID era and for teachers of color,鈥� said Johnson. 鈥淎ll along the pipeline to becoming a teacher, there are interconnected systemic barriers that prevent prospective teachers from marginalized populations from entering college, thriving while there, and persisting through to graduation.鈥澛�

Johnson and Education Department faculty Amy Bauschard created the new program, believing that fostering inclusion and taking a culturally responsive approach to teaching and learning benefits everyone.

NextGen814 participants are:

• Persie Doolittle
• Johnae Henderson
• Jaleiha Johnson
• Tatyana Serrano
• Prakriti Tamung

鈥淚 had no idea what I wanted to do with my life,鈥� said Persie Doolittle. 鈥淚 had some personal struggles growing up.鈥澛�

But at Erie High, a lightbulb went on and she discovered a love of music, joining both the marching and concert bands. When she learned of 菠萝视频app鈥檚 new teacher education program, she decided to apply. Today, she is on track to becoming a music teacher. She is the only NextGen participant opting to teach at the high school level.

Part of encouraging diversity among teachers is their natural relatability. Besides teaching her discipline, Doolittle believes her personal experiences and emotional struggles combined with her empathetic personality can enable her to relate to students at the high school level who may face similar challenges.

For Johnae Henderson, being one of six children made the prospect of affording higher education a challenge, if not a barrier. The 菠萝视频app program has made all the difference, and she is determined to be a teacher who can make a difference.

鈥淕rowing up in Erie, I know the challenges that many students face,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here aren鈥檛 many teachers who are the same color as me or have gone through the same struggles and experiences as me. I can be someone students, and even other teachers, can relate to.鈥�

Jaleiha Johnson calls herself 鈥渁n outspoken person鈥� who likes to try new things. 鈥淚鈥檝e always wanted to be a teacher and, growing up, my teachers told me I鈥檇 make a good one,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 good with kids and people.鈥澛�

As a former student council president and captain of her high school鈥檚 cheerleading squad, Johnson said she鈥檚 ready for whatever college throws her way. Not only does she want to commit academically, but she wants to take advantage of the university鈥檚 clubs and organizations.

Tatyana Serrano said the 菠萝视频app program has awakened in her all kinds of possibilities. While she is on track to earn a degree in Early Childhood Education, she said she is considering starting her own day care business.

鈥淭hat just came to me in the past couple weeks,鈥� she said, acknowledging her excitement at considering all her options.

Finally, Prakriti Tamung, a native of Nepal who came to the United States at the age of 9, has only lived in Erie for two years. Throughout her young life, college hadn鈥檛 even been a consideration. 鈥淭oo expensive,鈥� she said.

The 菠萝视频app program eliminated that roadblock so she could become what she had longed to be as far back as she could remember: a teacher.聽

PHOTO: Dr. Susan Johnson works with the inaugural cohort of the NextGen814 program, from left, Jaleiha Johnson, Prakriti Tamung, Persie Doolittle, Tatyana Serrano, and Johnae Henderson.聽