NYC Gazette

Lehman College has secured an $8.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to enhance the training of multilingual teachers and school leaders in the Bronx, as announced by The City University of New York (CUNY). This funding will be allocated over five years to support Lehman's mission to prepare educators for high-need schools in a borough where over 59% of residents speak a language other than English at home.

“CUNY has a longstanding reputation for educating New York’s teaching force and we are proud to step up again to train multilingual teachers, which are so desperately needed in our diverse city,” stated CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. He emphasized Lehman College's role as a community partner dedicated to the Bronx's future.

Lehman College President Fernando Delgado highlighted the broader impact of this initiative: “A Lehman education is about much more than getting a degree; it’s about giving back, lifting up neighborhoods, and creating lasting change in the community.”

The program, titled Lehman Urban Transformation Education: Multilingual Leaders for the Bronx, will offer paid residencies for 60 aspiring teachers and fellowships for 60 school leaders who mentor them. The need for such educators is significant in the Bronx, which boasts New York's highest percentage of multilingual individuals and where nearly 25% of public school students require assistance with English.

Key figures involved include Interim Dean Wesley Pitts from Lehman College School of Education, professors Samatha Chung and Tiffany DeJaynes as co-leads, along with Cecilia M. Espinosa, chair of Lehman's Department of Early Childhood and Childhood Education.

The initiative is part of efforts by the Lehman Center for School & College Collaboratives aimed at improving educational outcomes in the Bronx and creating pathways for residents to become qualified educators within their community.

“Census data indicate an ongoing need to prepare bilingual educators capable of teaching in more than one language,” remarked Zoila Morell, Associate Dean at Lehman's School of Education. She noted that their institution is well-positioned as a leader in multilingualism and education to meet this demand.

CUNY stands as America's largest urban public university system with its long-standing mission since 1847: providing quality public education accessible to all students irrespective of background or financial status.