West Virginia University at Parkersburg is the recipient of a $96,000 grant to continue its unique Partnerships Project.

The award was made by the West Virginia Partnerships for Teacher Quality from the office of the WV Secretary of the Education and the Arts.  This is the third consecutive year that the college's Education Division has received the grant.

"The Partnerships Project is an excellent example of how the college achieves excellence through extending its capacity to deliver a far-reaching initiative," noted WVU Parkersburg President Marie Foster Gnage.

The project involves the placement of the college's Elementary Education majors in five elementary school classrooms in Wood County Schools.  The college's teacher candidates work with more than 300 elementary and middle school students as part of the project.

"Not only are our teacher candidates better prepared for the profession of teaching through the project but they provide remedial and enrichment activities for public school students," noted Cindy Kelley, chair of the college's Education Division.

"Plus, the project includes meaningful professional development activities for our students, our faculty and Wood County Schools' teachers," she added.

The project makes it possible for 100 percent of WVU Parkersburg's teacher candidates to spend a minimum of three semesters of in-classroom experience in established Partner schools. 

"It's unusual for Education majors to have that much time in actual clinical training but we think it's extremely important to have such intensive hands-on experience.  That's what sets our graduates apart from others," Dr. Kelley said.

Schools participating in the Partnerships Project are Mineral Wells, Fairplains, Worthington, Neale and Williamstown elementary schools. 

WVU Parkersburg offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education.  Earlier this spring, the Education Division achieved renewed accreditation by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) for its Elementary Education program which was reaccredited for a maximum seven-year period.