Montgomery, Ala. – Stillman College has officially been awarded a $400,000 grant from the Alabama State Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Defense, to recruit military veterans for second careers as public school teachers.
Troops to Teachers (TTT) is a military career transition program that helps eligible members of the armed forces begin new careers as K-12 public school teachers. This five-year grant will provide Stillman College with resources to recruit highly qualified service members to teaching and it will also provide guidance on state teacher certification and education requirements leading to employment opportunities.
“This exciting grant enhances Stillman’s collective impact model,” said President Cynthia Warrick. “Bringing our military, federal and state government, and local education agencies together not only addresses teacher pipeline challenges, but it also impacts the state’s ability to produce a quality workforce for the future.”
Alabama is one of six states to receive Troops to Teachers funding in 2018. Kansas, Michigan, and Ohio were also awarded grants along with two consortia comprised of New Jersey and Delaware, and Missouri and Iowa. The 2018 grants received will provide services for a five-year term ending in May 2023.
“Veterans bring unmatched leadership, initiative, discipline, and integrity to Alabama’s schools,” said State Superintendent Eric Mackey. “Stillman College is the perfect partner to bring more service men and women to public education, especially in the Black Belt, where we desperately need teachers in all subject areas.”
Stillman College President Cynthia Warrick has tapped Derwin Dubose, a Senior Airman in the United States Air Force Reserve Command, to lead the Troops to Teachers program.
Assigned to the 69th Aerial Port Squadron at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, Dubose supports transportation logistics for distinguished visitor missions, including Air Force One. A native of Sumter County, Alabama, Senior Airman Dubose attended Stillman College’s Upward Bound program as a teenager. He was a Sheila C. Johnson Leadership Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and served as an education policy advisor to the Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina.
Congress enacted the Troops to Teachers Program in 1993, placing the initiative underneath the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) of the U.S. Department of Defense. TTT has helped more than 17,000 military veterans to successfully transition to careers in education.
This newly awarded grant also builds upon Stillman College’s commitment to providing unique educational opportunities to military families. Last August, this institution opened a Veterans Resource Center to better facilitate VA benefits, and to provide support services to eligible students.
The college is also partnering with military outreach efforts at the University of Alabama and Shelton State Community College to host the third annual Tuscaloosa Runs for Veterans, on November 10. Stillman College is also hosting its Women Veterans Breakfast on the same day. This year’s keynote speaker is Dr. Betty Moseley Brown, Chief Veterans Experience Officer for the federal Department of Veterans Affairs, and former President of the Women Marines Association.
Learn more about TTT at https://proudtoserveagain.com/States?state=Alabama.
Founded in 1875, Stillman College is committed to fostering academic excellence, to providing opportunities for diverse populations, and to maintaining a strong tradition of preparing students for leadership and service.
