Cato College of Education

The Center for STEM Education has received third-year funding of $881,904 from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction to continue to offer professional development for K-2 teachers in six school districts with the goal of improving students’ understanding of math concepts.

Amy Hawn Nelson, director of research at the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute and director of its Institute for Social Capital, recently was named to the 2014-16 class of William C. Friday Fellows for Human Relations.

The goal of the Friday Fellowship is to cultivate a network of “courageous leaders who connect across differences in identity and ideas to develop new solutions to the complex challenges facing the people and communities of North Carolina through a human relations lens.”

Spencer Salas, an associate professor of middle, secondary and K-12 education in the College of Education, recently returned from India and Nepal where he served as an English language specialist teacher trainer.
In India, Salas primarily worked with secondary school teachers of English who work in New Delhi’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods. Salas’ global efforts in India were funded by a grant from the U.S. State Department Regional English Language Office program and hosted by the State Council of Education Research and Training, an autonomous body of the Government of Delhi.

The UNC Charlotte Multicultural Play Therapy Center and Office of Educational Outreach in the College of Education will hold its eighth annual conference Monday, June 23, through Thursday, June 26.
According to Phyllis Post, director of the Multicultural Play Therapy Center, this event is an opportunity for professional and school counselors, social workers, psychologists and students to learn about play therapy and earn up to 24 continuing education credits.

During a recent four-week project, local middle and high school students had a chance to experience the life of an engineer.

American Education Week is Monday, Nov. 18, through Friday, Nov. 22. In observance of this period, the College of Education’s Office of Teacher, Education, Advising, Licensure and Recruitment will sponsor an Education Walk of Fame from 10:15 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, Nov. 20, in front of the Student Activity Center.
Members of the campus community are invited to “show their appreciation for an educator (teacher, counselor or administrator) who made a difference in their lives.” Participants will be able to draw a star and write the name of their educator.

Ellen McIntyre, dean of the University’s College of Education, will moderate a panel discussion on challenges to public education at 10 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 9, at UNC Charlotte Center City.
Topics for “What’s Next for Public Education in the Charlotte Metro?” include how families make school choices and the options available, the funding gap in public education and its impact on communities and students and how various educational systems coordinate their efforts.

The College of Education’s annual Bob Barret Distinguished Lecture on Multicultural Issues in Counseling will be at 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 24, in the Cone University Center, Room 210, and on Friday, Oct. 25, the Counseling Department will sponsor the conference “Multicultural Perspectives on Counseling.”

The College of Education’s Urban Education Collaborative recently held its inaugural conference “Pursuing Extraordinary Outcomes in Public Education” at UNC Charlotte Center City.
This event, held in partnership with Sugar Creek Charter School, drew nearly 300 educators, students, community leaders and key stakeholders from across the nation. The three-day conference offered professional development, networking opportunities and a chance to discuss some of the most pressing issues related to urban communities.

Greg Wiggan, a faculty member in the College of Education, had the co-authored work “Following the Northern Star: Caribbean Identities and Education in North American Schools” released by Nova Publishers.