Catawba College News Service
Catawba College has been selected to be one of 18 institutions across the state to offer an N.C. Teaching Fellows program within its nationally accredited teacher education department, the N.C. Teaching Fellows Commission announced Monday.
Catawba will be one of six private institutions in the program, while the other 12 institutions are in the public university system.
“The Commission looks forward to seeing Catawba College provide creative and innovative experiences that will expand the traditional horizons for their students.” said John Denning, chairman of the Teaching Fellows Commission.
The first group of Catawba’s N.C. Teaching Fellows will begin the program in the 2009-2010 academic year. All who participate in the program will have an obligation to teach in the public schools of North Carolina for four years after graduation.
Students in the program may pursue certifications in fields of study including middle and secondary language arts, history, mathematics, science, music, physical education and elementary education. 
N.C. Teaching Fellows is a teacher-recruitment program enacted by the general assembly in 1986. Its mission was to recruit talented high school graduates into the teaching profession. It was one of the components in a 10-point teacher recruitment proposal developed by the nonprofit Public School Forum.
Last academic year, 500 N.C. Teaching Fellows scholarships were awarded. The average profile of a Teaching Fellow includes an SAT score over 1,100, a high school GPA of 4.0 or more on a weighted scale, and a rank in the top 10 percent of his or her high school graduating class. In keeping with the goal to recruit males and minorities, each year approximately 20 percent of the program’s recipients are minority, while 30 percent are male.
The program is available only to North Carolina residents who apply and are selected as N.C. Teaching Fellows. Selected students then choose to attend one the 18 institutions which offer the program. For more information on the N.C. Teaching Fellows program, visit www.teachingfellows.org.
Catawba’s N.C. Teaching Fellows will receive:
– A full tuition award including the state tuition grants, financial need assistance, academic scholarships and work study. 
– Participation in leadership seminars, community service and scholarly researched presentations.
– Attendance at professional conferences.
– Early field experiences beginning in the freshman year.
– Regional travel opportunities and cultural events each year at sites including Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and New York City
– Cultural excursion to Mexico.
– Training in the integration of technology to enhance student learning; personal laptop program.
– A wellness program.
– Summer enrichment activities.
– Stipends for optional international study opportunities, such as a semester at Harlaxton College in England or a summer term in Costa Rica.
– Professional development seminars featuring national speakers.
– Freshman retreats.
– A mentoring program.
Catawba’s N.C. Teaching Fellows will become the school’s second scholarship program to be offered to students interested in pursuing careers in teaching. 
Catawba’s West Scholars program, available to students from inside and outside N.C., was created in 2006, and the first 14 students who received these awards entered the institution in 2007.
Both programs are part of the Ritchie Academy for Teaching in Catawba’s teacher education department and are directed by Dr. Cyndi Osterhus. Dr. Bonita Bloodworth serves as associate director of the academy, which focuses on equipping its participants with 21st Century teaching skills.
For more information, contact Osterhus at costerhu@catawba.edu or 704-637-4761.