More teacher-leaders preparing to enter America's classrooms.
Fourteen new members were recently inducted into the three-year old Real Men Teach (RMT) program during a ceremony in McNeil Banquet Hall on March 25. In addition to the new protégés, the program also welcomed 15 new mentors.
The keynote speaker for the invitation-only event, which welcomed more than 100 guests, was Jeff Davis, assistant athletic director for player relations and external affairs within the Clemson University football program. He also served as the primary spokesman and director for Clemson University’s “Call Me Mister” program.
Jeff Davis makes a point he wants the protégés to remember during his address.
The former Clemson All-American linebacker and Tampa Bay NFL star delivered a powerful message to an attentive audience. He urged the protégés to “graduate from success to significance.” Click here to hear excerpts from his memorable remarks.
In addition to the induction ceremony, the audience was entertained by WSSU vocalists and musicians, some of whom are RMT protégés. During the program, several mentors and protégés were recognized for their various accomplishments in education and service.
WSSU’s Real Men Teach program is housed within the School of Education and Human Performance. The program is designed to encourage more males to pursue careers in education. The primary goal of the program is to enhance the visibility, quantity and quality of male students graduating from WSSU in the field of education.
Currently, 43 men from WSSU’s faculty and staff, and members of the community, serve as volunteers to mentor the program’s 35 protégés.
“Having a male in the classroom that can provide the personal, academic, and social support for children in kindergarten through 12th grade is critical in student development, particularly for African-American male children,” said Dr. Cynthia Jackson-Hammond, dean of the WSSU School of Education and Human Performance and founder of Real Men Teach.
A report from the National Education Association shows that the number of male teachers is at a 40-year low. For African-American males in the profession, the numbers are even lower. Leaders at WSSU are hopeful that the new program will change this demographic by getting more males to pursue careers in education.
For more information about the “Real Men Teach” program, please contact Project Coordinator Holly Madrey at 336-750-2467 or e-mail her at madreyhe@wssu.edu.
