February 15, 2023
Department of Education announces recipients of $18 million for the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Program grants
The U.S. Department of Education has announced award recipients for the over $18 million for the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Program grants. The competitive grants support teacher preparation programs to recruit, prepare with high-quality preservice clinical experiences, place, and retain teachers in high-need school districts to support students who are historically underserved. The Hawkins Program builds on the Department’s efforts to strengthen and diversify the teacher pipeline, especially as states and districts work to meet their staffing needs.
From the FY 2022 appropriation for the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, Congress allocated $8 million for the Hawkins program. The Department is also using funds appropriated for the Hawkins Program in FY 2023 to bring the total for these grants to over $18 million.
Twelve grantees met a competitive priority by proposing projects designed to increase the number of well-prepared teachers from diverse backgrounds, as well as bilingual and multilingual teachers with full certification.
The Hawkins Program awardees are listed below. Institutions in bold are HACU-member HSIs.
- California State University Dominguez Hills
- Metropolitan State University
- Florida International University
- University of Hawaii
- National Louis University
- Bowie State University
- William Patterson University of New Jersey
- Medgar Evers College of the City of New York
- Northeastern State University
- University of Texas El Paso
- University of Houston Clear Lake
- Sam Houston State University