Jacksonville Public Education Fund awards UNF education students’ scholarships
At Thursday night’s men’s basketball game, the University of North Florida Ospreys swooped down to beat the Edward Waters University Tigers 103 to 57, but they weren’t the only winners that night. The Jacksonville Public Education Fund (JPEF), in partnership with the CEM Foundation, announced a new scholarship to support and encourage diverse male student athletes who are considering teaching careers in Duval County Public Schools.
Over the course of three years, multiple diverse male student athletes in the UNF College of Education and Human Services will receive a $2,500 annual scholarship as well as membership, sponsored by the CEM Foundation, into JPEF’s IGNITE Young Professionals Group. These partnerships and scholarships are a small part of JPEF’s commitment to help recruit and retain 1,000 diverse male teachers by 2025.
During half-time, Nick Morrow, UNF Athletics director, accepted the check for $35,000 on behalf of the COEHS student-athletes, presented by Rachael Tutwiler Fortune, UNF alum and JPEF president, and Josh Woods, UNF alum and CEM Foundation’s director of community outreach and impact.
COEHS programs like the Virtual Teaching Academy, Jacksonville Teacher Residency and the Urban Education Scholarship Program will be instrumental in achieving the community-wide 1,000 by 2025 Initiative.