By Leslie Collins
Northeast News
April 13, 2011

It’s been dubbed the first of its kind in the U.S.

It’s called the Institute for Urban Education (IUE), sponsored by the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC).

“What makes IUE different from other programs is working in a field-based urban setting and working in the community, which means this is not all theory because some things can’t be learned in class,” said IUE Assistant Teaching Professor and Recruiter Mark Turner.

The goal of IUE is to prepare teachers for success in the urban classroom. The program places emphasis on math, science and literacy – critical needs in urban schools.

IUE also focuses on social justice and multicultural education and has designed its curriculum to include cultural awareness, culturally relevant teaching and immersion in urban schools. It explores the political, social and emotional aspects of teaching.

During the first semester, students experience on-site teaching and learning in urban schools. The summer following their sophomore year, students participate in a six-week “Summer Community Experience” to connect them to community agencies and organizations like Kansas City Urban Youth Center and Operation Breakthrough. Through volunteering with local children and families, students gain more insight and appreciation for Kansas City’s urban communities.

“What I like about the IUE is that it addresses the problem of social justice at the core, which is education,” Turner said. “I started in the Kansas City Missouri School District when the ‘Brown v. Board of Education’ civil rights case just passed, and I have seen how the urban core was just an afterthought.

“UMKC School of Education is dismantling the pre-conceived ideals of what education is like in the urban core. We are preparing instructors to have a long work history in urban schools – not setting them up to fail, but for the instructor to grow professionally and to receive a chance at a new self-reflection.”

When a student graduates, he or she isn’t left alone to navigate through the school system. IUE pairs each graduate with a mentor during the first years of teaching.

Another plus to the program is that all student loans are forgiven if a graduate works in the urban core for four years.

IUE is currently accepting applications. To apply, visit www.umkc.edu/admissions or for more information, call the admissions office, (816) 235-1111 or 1-800-775-8652 toll-free.