Neag School receives multicultural award

The Neag School of Education’s efforts to infuse multicultural values into its programs and school culture were recognized with an award during the New England Conference on Multicultural Education on Oct. 8.

The conference is the oldest and largest event of its kind in the region. Educators and staff from educational organizations and state agencies attended the day-long forum to work on ways to close the achievement gap and eliminate discrimination in schools.

During the awards ceremony, Richard Schwab, dean of the Neag School, was presented with the 2008 Multicultural Program of the Year Award.

The School was nominated for the honor by Jack Hasegawa, head of the Sheff Office at the Connecticut State Department of Education, and was supported by Mitchell Sakofs, dean of the School of Education at Central Connecticut State University.

In his nomination letter, Hasegawa wrote, “The Neag School of Education is an outstanding example of an educational program’s infusion of multicultural values in every facet of its life and work.”

He praised the School for its commitment to closing the achievement gap through its new Institute for Urban School Improvement, for the variety of professional development opportunities and conferences the School sponsors, and for its research and service projects that contribute to improving urban education.

Schwab commended the School’s faculty, staff, leadership team, and students “for all their efforts to ensure that all students, regardless of their backgrounds, have the opportunity to experience a meaningful education and have access to achieving the American dream.”

In concurrence with the University’s diversity initiative in 2007, Schwab established an Advisory Council on Diversity with faculty, staff, and student representatives.

The group worked with the entire School population to set strategic goals for increasing the School’s faculty and student diversity, while also increasing multicultural understanding and awareness through courses, curricula, and events, and increasing efforts to recruit and retain students and faculty of color.