In the spring of 2018 the CAMWS Development Committee, under the leadership of its chair John Miller (University of Virginia), launched the Teacher Training Initiative (TTI), dedicated to supporting K-12 Latin teacher training and professional development. Since then, CAMWS consulares, officers, and individual members have contributed $21,273 to the campaign, and the Executive Committee has approved a commitment of $10,000 from the CAMWS endowment, bringing the total amount of available funds to $31,273 (as of June 2020).
During 2019-20 an ad-hoc committee, chaired by Fanny Dolansky (Brock University), brainstormed about how best to disburse the funds. In its report, submitted to the Executive Committee this spring, the committee suggested ideas in four categories: teaching certification, training experiences, mentoring experiences, and start-up costs. Building on those suggestions, and believing that our top priority should be brand-new initiatives to attract pre-college as well as undergraduates into the profession, the outgoing and incoming CAMWS Presidents and the outgoing and incoming CAMWS Secretary-Treasurers propose a two-pronged approach to spending the TTI funds: A Partnership Program and Scholarship Program.
The Partnership Program provides funds to establish a partnerships between K-12 schools and colleges/universities in one or more of the following ways:
a. K-12 Classics teachers, especially those certified to teach Latin, would be invited to visit college/university campuses and speak with Classics undergraduates about the rewards of K-12 teaching.
b. College/university Classics faculty or undergraduate Classics majors, particularly those in programs that offer Latin teaching certification, would be invited to visit K-12 schools and speak with students about the rewards of majoring in Classics and of becoming certified to teach Latin in K-12 schools.
c. K-12 Classics teachers, especially those certified to teach Latin, would be invited to serve as mentors for undergraduate Classics majors interested in a K-12 teaching career.
TTI funds would cover honoraria, transportation costs, meals, certificates, etc. CAMWS State/Provincial and Regional Vice-Presidents would be charged with publicizing the program and recruiting teachers to serve as speakers and mentors.
The Scholarship Program establishes two $500 scholarships to support undergraduate students, especially those from underrepresented or underserved populations, who pursue certification in Latin.
These scholarships welcome applications from high-school students who commit to majoring in Classics and earning certification, or college/university freshmen, sophomores, or juniors who are pursuing teaching certification. The scholarship may be renewable for up to three additional years (for undergraduate study), provided that the student maintains their commitment to earning certification to teach classics.
The application information is now available for these TTI Programs on the Awards Page.