Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education Honored with Partnership Award

The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education was recently recognized by the Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges for Teacher Education (AILACTE) for its Collaborative Education for Equity Partnership (CEE).

The School was selected as a recipient of AILACTE’s Partnership Award, recognizing the significant initiative it has fostered with area secondary schools through CEE. The award provides a small stipend, complimentary registration to the organization’s annual conference, and official recognition during the conference’s executive board meeting.

Anchored by a vision to contribute to the dismantling of structural racism and advance equity in education, CEE’s mission is to create an accessible, supported, and sustainable teacher pipeline to prepare, mentor, and graduate Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) teachers, drawn from urban, suburban, and rural school districts, into the regional teaching workforce. The pilot began in 2021 with Brighton Central School District and the Teaching Learning Institute at East High School in the Rochester City School District, and has been successfully running and expanding since then.

“This is truly collaborative as the districts work together with Fisher and have their middle and high school students get to know each other across districts as well as staff across districts work together to create future teacher clubs,” said Dr. Joellen Maples, dean of the School of Education. “This partnership also serves the needs of our partners—as it aligns within their strategic plans to diversify their own workforce. For the University, it adds more students to our teacher preparation program while diversifying our student body.”