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PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (Sept. 19, 2024) - The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Prairie View A&M University a prestigious grant under the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Program, part of a national initiative to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities in producing well-prepared, diverse educators for underserved communities. PVAMU, alongside three other HBCUs, will receive funding to continue its legacy of developing high-quality educators who are critical to addressing the national shortage of diverse teachers.

The Biden-Harris Administration, through this grant, emphasizes its commitment to increasing the number of teachers of color in elementary and secondary schools across the country. HBCUs like PVAMU have long been essential in preparing a disproportionate share of the nation's teachers of color, producing nearly 50% of all Black educators in the U.S., according to a release by the U.S. Department of Education. With its new funding of $495,012, PVAMU will expand its efforts to recruit and retain future educators who are equipped to offer culturally responsive teaching in underserved schools.

"Our nation's beautiful diversity is one of our greatest cultural and economic strengths. The grants announced build on the Biden-Harris Administration's historic investments in HBCUs and will help put more teachers of color in classrooms and in STEM careers-two key professions of today and tomorrow's workforce," said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.

A list of the Hawkins grants to HBCUs is below:

Morehouse College: $621,492
Prairie View A&M University: $495,012
Grambling State University: $378,939
North Carolina Central University: $122,325

Total: $1,617,012

Click here to view the full press release by the U.S. Department of Education.

-PVAMU-