December 11, 2014
Las Vegas, New Mexico – The Highlands University School of Education is offering tuition and textbook scholarships to teachers to pursue online master’s degrees in education. The scholarship deadline is Jan. 5, 2015.
The scholarships are earmarked for teachers admitted to the School of Education’s graduate programs in curriculum and instruction, rehabilitation counseling, and special education.
“Interest has been very strong in this new online master’s degree program, with the most applicants to date coming from teachers in Las Vegas, Mora, Albuquerque and Rio Rancho,” said Belinda Laumbach, acting dean of the School of Education. “We anticipate that the scholarship program will be at capacity spring semester.”
Funding for the scholarships comes from a five-year $2.1 million grant the U.S. Department of Education Title V Program awarded to Highlands in September to establish Conectado, a name chosen to symbolize connecting technology with education.
“This new program has the potential to make a significant difference in student achievement across New Mexico because it helps educators improve their teaching practice,” Laumbach said. “There has been outstanding collaboration and hard work across the university to implement Conectado on a very fast turnaround, including the School of Education, Educational Outreach Services, Graduate Office, and Financial Aid Office.”
Laumbach said that as part of the grant, three School of Education faculty were hired to teach the new online courses in each of the three program areas, with titles like Diagnosis of Exceptional Child, Foundations of Rehabilitation Counseling, and Instructional Strategy and Mentoring.
Evonne Roybal-Tafoya, Educational Outreach Services director, wrote the successful U.S. Department of Education grant for Conectado.
“The online courses are offered after hours to make them possible for teachers’ work schedules,” Roybal-Tafoya said. “We’re reaching out to non-traditional students to help them reach their educational goals and advance their teaching skills. It’s exciting.”
The Conectado scholarship information is online at:
https://its.nmhu.edu/includes/onlinedocs/display.html?quicklink=3170
The application is at: https://its.nmhu.edu/includes/onlinedocs/display.html?quicklink=3171
Teachers may also contact Roybal-Tafoya via email at roybal_ej@nmhu.edu to request an application.
Completed applications are due by Jan. 5 and may be mailed to: NMHU EOS Office, P.O. Box 9000, Las Vegas, NM 87701, attention Evonne Roybal-Tafoya.
Or drop completed applications off in the EOS Office, Sininger Hall, Room 112, 904 Columbia Ave. (Sininger Hall is in the university’s Central Park, opposite Donnelly Library and adjacent to the Ivan Hilton Science Building.)
The scholarships will be awarded early in Spring semester 2015.
For more information about the scholarships, contact Roybal-Tafoya at 505-454-3271. For general questions about the Conectado program, contact Laumbach at 505-454-3146.