With funding from the EducateMe Foundation, a new initiative in Alabama A&M University's Department of Teacher Education and Leadership has placed recruitment and retention in its crosshairs.

The newly established Teacher Ambassador Program (T.A.P.) is an initiative that allows current teacher education and leadership students to serve as ambassadors and peer mentors for the Department of Teacher Education and Leadership. Students will also work to assist the department in meeting recruitment and retention goals.

Six students from across the various teacher education programs were interviewed and selected from among peers to serve as the department’s first cohort of ambassadors.

The students will work closely with the program founder and lead, Dr. Samantha L. Strachan, and program co-lead, Dr. John Prestridge, to recruit new students to AAMU, assist current students with navigating the teacher education pathway, and support teacher education faculty with student engagement.

“We are extremely grateful to the EducateMe Foundation for providing us with funding to support our recruitment and retention efforts,” Dr. Strachan said. “In addition to supporting our student ambassadors, the foundation has provided us with funding to establish a unique approach to preparing teacher candidates for an external reading examination required by the Alabama State Department of Education. We look forward to seeing how newly implemented initiatives impact retention and completion rates in our programs.”

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CAPTION: Pictured (l-r): Dr. Samantha Strachan, Angel Scott, Taugene Morris, Cassidy McClellan, Trinity McIntosh, Rodney Farrell Jr., and Dr. John Prestridge. Not Pictured: Ms. Brittany Howard