Equity & Diversity Scholarships

This scholarship was created to increase the number of teachers with disabilities in the classroom. It is hoped that this will further the awareness and sensitivity of students at all levels to better understand and to appreciate issues of disability and help create a more inclusive classroom environment that values all differences.

• Applicants must be WWU students with a significant physical disability (including mobility, sight or hearing limitations) 
• Must be enrolled or will enroll in a teacher preparation program.
• Users of wheelchairs or other personal assistive motorized vehicles are among the first to be considered for this scholarship, but all applicants meeting the criteria will be considered.
• Post-Bac and graduate students are eligible. 
• Amount awarded: TBD

Amount: $1500 a year, renewable for a second year

The Challenge: Prepare minority teachers to meet a critical shortage in the state's public schools, where the number of minority students is steadily increasing.

Our Goal: Provide scholarships, as well as personal and group mentoring to students of color who will be joining with Woodring in a "promise" agreement to maintain eligibility and enroll in one of Woodring's teacher education programs as soon as they have fulfilled the requirements for admission.

Criteria

To receive this scholarship, you must meet all of the following criteria:

• Be enrolled as a full-time Western Washington University student who will be a sophomore or junior the fall quarter following the scholarship deadline
• Be a student of color
• Have potential for future academic success (based on academic history and/or recommendations from teachers/advisors)
• Be able to communicate your desire to become a P-12 teacher through the required scholarship application essay
• Have a complete application submitted by the deadline
• If selected as a finalist, agree to an interview with the scholarship selection committee, if requested.

Scholarship awards are distributed to recipients on a quarterly basis (fall, winter, spring) and may be renewable for one academic year. To remain eligible, students must:

• Be in good standing and maintain satisfactory academic progress (minimum 2.75 GPA) at Western Washington University with the promise of meeting Woodring College of Education admissions criteria.
• Maintain the intent of entering teacher education and applying to Woodring College of Education in a timely manner.
• Attend seminar(s) and/or events hosted by Woodring designed to ensure student success.
• Communicate, as requested, with a Woodring assigned mentor.

The Future Teachers of Color Promise Scholarship Program is administered through the Woodring College of Education Dean's office. The scholarship committee consists of Woodring faculty.

• Recipients of the Inspired for Teaching Excellence Scholarship possess a passion for making a difference through teaching in P-12 schools and are incoming freshmen from Washington. 
• It is renewed annually until graduation.  
• Applicants are recruited through the Western Washington University Admissions office. 

• The John and Marilyn Warner Promise Scholarship supports underrepresented students who apply to and are accepted into the Martinez Fellowship program - Technology Access Foundation. 
• The program's mission is to improve teacher diversity through mentoring, seminars and other means of support. 

More information on how Woodring College students can apply is on the Martinez Fellowship web page.

Amount: $5000 per year, may be renewed each year as long as the student is meeting program requirements for up to four years.

Applicants:

• must identify as male
• must have participated in the Maestros Para el Pueblo program at Skagit Valley College
• must intend to enroll in or be admitted to a teacher education program. 
• must have financial need.

• To provide support for sophomore or junior students of color who will be joining Woodring College of Education in a "promise" agreement to maintain eligibility and enroll in one of Woodring's teacher education programs as soon as they have fulfilled the requirements for admission. 
• This scholarship is eligible for renewal.

Award: Partial or full tuition, depending on funds available

• Applicants must be from historically underrepresented groups interested in pursuing a career in P-12 teaching.
• Eligible underrepresented students will include men intending to enter the Elementary, Early Childhood, and/or Special Education profession(s), first generation college students, and/or students of color.
• Prospective and current teacher education candidates are eligible.
• Students who will be transferring to Western in the Fall for a Woodring College of Education teaching program are also eligible.
• Please provide a one-paragraph statement of financial need.

Select applicants may be invited to an in-person interview with Woodring faculty/staff.

The scholarship recipient(s) will receive support and mentoring from Woodring College of Education. Scholarship recipients will be asked to:

• Meet with a faculty mentor as requested
• Meet with an assigned academic advisor and/or check-in with the scholarship coordinator periodically
• Attend special Woodring events

The Paul and Jeannette Woodring Scholarship supports underrepresented students who are pursuing a career in education or Human Services. 

The scholarship is automatically awarded to students who were selected as Future Woodring Scholars or recruited through the Maestros Para El Pueblo & Recruiting Washington Teachers programs and are participating in certain first year experiences (FIGS).

Please email Woodring.Scholarships@wwu.edu to check annual availability.

It is the donor’s intent to provide scholarships for deserving indigenous*/native students, who will be applying to, or are enrolled in, the Woodring College of Education (including students earning a minor in Education and Social Justice).  It is the donor’s desire that these students have a personal goal for positively contributing to the traditions, health, welfare, education and well-being of their community and language.  Through an earned degree, license, or certificate, they should intend to use their education and subsequent career to better their indigenous/native community, while preserving its language and culture.  Whenever possible, preference will be made to applicants who demonstrate the following, in descending order of priority:

• Speak, or are in the process of reclaiming, their indigenous/native language;

• Belong to an indigenous/native community

• Have a history of a commitment to actively supporting, preserving, and advancing their community, language, and culture survival, based on the selection committee’s assessment on a year-to-year basis;

• Are at least in their second year of higher education (either at WWU or as a transfer student) at time of award (including post-baccalaureate and graduate students), with higher preference given to students who are at least in their third year.

The scholarship may be renewed for up to two years as long as the student maintains eligibility.

* Indigenous is synonymous with Tribal Peoples, First Peoples and Native Peoples from around the globe and includes peoples from tribes not federally recognized by the United States government.

New award for 2021-22

Preference is made to Woodring students who demonstrate, in descending order of priority: 

• A student in their final year of study
• A student enrolled in the Maestros para el Pueblo Program
• A student with financial need

• The Winifred Nolte Keyes Scholarship provides support for native/indigenous students earning a degree and/or certificate in education at Woodring College of Education.
• Open to graduate students