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The Ken Bower Teacher Cadet Scholarship, named in memory of Dr. Ken Bower, an architect of the original Teacher Cadet course and curriculum, is awarded each year to senior Teacher Cadets who intend to become a classroom teacher in one of South Carolina's many public schools.
“The recipients of the Ken Bower Teacher Cadet Scholarship are the epitome of excellence—within and beyond academia—and we look forward to welcoming these homegrown future teachers to South Carolina's cadre of exemplary classroom teachers,” notes Dr. Marcella Wine-Snyder, Director of Pre-Collegiate Programs at CERRA, which includes the Teacher Cadet Program. “Since its inception in 1985, South Carolina’s Teacher Cadet Program has led pre-collegiate teacher recruitment efforts by establishing and solidifying a pipeline of well-qualified educators in our state ready to return to their communities as classroom teachers in the future. For some time now, education policy analysts and demographers have alluded to impending teacher shortages at an alarming rate, and homegrown teacher recruitment strategies and efforts like the Teacher Cadet Program represent our best hope for averting a more substantial one. As the anchor of teaching and learning, a teacher’s impact outweighs all other influential factors on student learning. Thus, without exemplary teachers at the helm in classrooms, our state's goal of providing high quality schools—for all children, in all neighborhoods—will never materialize.”
Teacher Cadet instructors receive notification of the call for applications early each calendar year and all senior Teacher Cadets are eligible to apply. Thanks to the generosity of silent auction “shoppers” at two CERRA conferences and other donors who support the Teacher Cadet program, 2020 recipients will receive a one-time award of $1,000. The award is mailed directly to the recipient's college before August 1st and is applied to his or her account. Awards are determined based on the merits of scholarship, involvement in school and community activities, teacher recommendations, and a written essay. The Ken Bower Teacher Cadet Scholarship is not “needs-based” and does not rely on the financial information of the Teacher Cadet’s family. Teaching Fellows may also be recipients of the Ken Bower Scholarship.