New degree completion programs, new online certificates, more Delaware HBCU scholars honored for excellence — there was quite an active close to July in education news, even as students now cling to the last month of summer break.
In this roundup, we’ll try to catch you up on some headlines you may have missed.
[ Did we miss another good story? Tell me about it: kepowers@gannett.com. ]
DSU announces new center focused on helping adult learners reach degrees
Thurgood Marshall College Fund and Delaware State University announced late last month the creation of a “TMCF-DSU Joint Center for HBCU Non-Traditional Completion” headed to the Dover campus.
The program will aim to support adult students who have some college experience but have not yet earned their degrees, the university said in a press release. This Joint Center will also look to counsel nontraditional learners on best practices with new pathways like online completion and stacked credentials.
“Since their founding, HBCUs have always served diverse student populations,” said Harry Williams, Thurgood Marshall College Fund president and CEO.
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“There’s a collective knowledge about how to support learners whose journey to graduation veers from what society calls the traditional path. … This Joint Center for HBCU Non-Traditional Completion is just another example of the important leadership role HBCUs play in higher education and in the upskilling of the nation’s workforce.”
The center will lean on lessons learned from a similar three-year pilot program for near completers and adult learners, according to the university. Terry Jefferies, assistant dean in the School of Graduate Adult and Extended Studies, will lead this effort.
“It is becoming increasingly important for HBCUs to share best practices and innovative strategies in support of the students we serve,” university President Tony Allen said in a statement.
And Delaware State plans to do just that, as outcomes from the program will inform other HBCUs seeking to boost recruitment and support of adult learners.
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Wilmington University to offer 100% online esports certificate this fall
It would seem Wilmington University is looking for serious gamers who want to “take their talents to the next level.”
The Delaware institution will offer an 18-credit, all-online certificate this fall. The certificate created in partnership with Futures First Gaming can stand alone or count toward a student’s ongoing degree.
Six credits of esports-specific coursework — including Esports Events and Production, as well as Esports and Data — will combine with nine credits of industry skill-based curriculum. The university contends this will provide flexible career opportunities for participating students.
“Three billion people worldwide are identifying as gamers,” said Stephen Sye, CEO of Futures First Gaming, in the university’s press release. “I like to say, ‘Gaming’s the carrot, but the learning is the nugget.’ This is an opportunity for both students and parents to really understand that their children can pursue their passions and still be successful.”
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The curriculum covers everything from information technology to business strategy to market analysis, according to Matthew Wilson, program chair and a director of the College of Education and Liberal Arts. It also joins about 15 bachelor degree programs that tie into the gaming field.
As Wilson put it for WilmU: “This is a growing industry that we are proud to be a part of.”
Delaware students are named White House HBCU Scholars
The White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through HBCUs named its 2023 HBCU scholars late last month. Two Delaware State students landed the recognition, while at least one Delawarean studying out of state saw the same.
Jordan Spencer and Imani Wulff-Cochrane were two Delaware State students among 102 from Historically Black Colleges and Universities — selected for accomplishments in academics, leadership and civic engagement, out of a pool exceeding 300 scholars.
Aa’Khai Hollis, a Wilmington native and sophomore at Bowie State University, earned the same recognition at his Maryland HBCU. Once a student in Appoquinimink, Hollis now studies in the natural science department at Bowie State.
“It will play a role in what I want to do in life,” Hollis noted, “which is to advance minority spaces and show minorities that we have a place at the table.”
These students will serve as ambassadors for the White House initiative, the Department of Education and their respective HBCUs. They will also be invited to attend the 2023 Annual National HBCU Week Conference workshops designed to expose them to best practices in leadership, professional development, workforce development and more.
For Delaware State’s Jordan Spencer, this is his second recognition. The Harrisburg native is a graduate student studying public administration, who also served as student government vice president last school year. This summer he worked for Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester through the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.
Wulff-Cochrane is a sophomore studying pre-education, while also serving on a number of student organizations, including Hornets in Motion, the National Coalition of Negro Women, Profound Ladies and Aspiring Educators.
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said these students “embody the culture of excellence and inclusion” championed by HBCUs.
And “on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education and everyone across the Biden-Harris Administration,” he said in a statement, “I congratulate each of our 2023 HBCU scholars.”
Middletown high schooler lands $40K national scholarship
The College Board announced last month that Appoquinimink School District’s Steven Thornton earned one of two monthly $40,000 scholarships through BigFuture, the College Board’s online guide that helps students plan for life after high school.
“To have one of our students win this award is an amazing accomplishment,” said Amanda Conley, principal of Middletown High School. “Our Cavaliers do great things in the classroom and beyond — and we have no doubt Steven will continue to make everyone proud.”
All class of 2024 and class of 2025 students are now eligible to win $500 and $40,000 scholarships, according to a district release. There are no essay, test score, citizenship status, family income or minimum GPA requirements. Drawings are held every month, and students whose families earn less than $60,000 per year earn double the entries for every drawing.
The following steps need to be completed, and the more steps students take, the more chances they have:
- Start Your Career List: Students explore careers that match their interests.
- Build a College List: Students search for colleges and add six or more to their list.
- Explore Scholarships: Students explore a list of scholarships personalized for them, based on their background, achievements and future plans.
- Strengthen Their College List: Students make sure their list has a mix of reach, match and safety schools.
- Complete the FAFSA: Students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form to apply for financial aid.
- Apply to Colleges: Students apply to at least two colleges they want to attend.
The College Board has dedicated $25 million to the program. More than $16 million in scholarships have been awarded to more than 19,000 students since the program launched in 2018, and more can get in on the action this summer.
Have a story? Kelly Powers covers race, culture and equity for the USA TODAY Network’s Northeast Region and Delaware Online/The News Journal, with a focus on education. Contact her at kepowers@gannett.com or (231) 622-2191, and follow her on Twitter @kpowers01.
