Teacher Education Professors selected USDA-HSI Fellows (05-09-05)
Adams State College Chair of Teacher Education, Dr. Barbara Medina, and Dr. Deborah Blake, associate professor of Teacher Education, will spend a few weeks this summer in Washington, DC for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Hispanic Serving Institutions Fellows Program (USDA-HSI).
As a USDA fellow, Medina's interest in rural education, particularly the unique needs of linguistically and culturally diverse populations, will provide the basis for her work as a USDA fellow. She emphasized, "We need to build relationships with Hispanics and stress the importance of higher education to them, and all students. We need to reach out and address their needs and how we can best meet them."
Blake's focus is on programs and opportunities that will serve the educational, economic, agricultural and cultural needs of her college and local communities. She said, "This type of training is invaluable for professors at a small college in a rural area. There is so much we can do to serve our students and our community. I believe the USDA-HSI Fellowship is a great opportunity to continue to develop Adams State College's programs."
According to the website, http://www.hsi.usda.gov/, the USDA-HSI Fellowship provides faculty and staff from HSIs with the opportunity to work and study with USDA staff and other federal agency personnel for a period of two to four weeks. The program is designed to:
- Advance the USDA's relationship with the participating institution
- Enhance the capacity of the institution's programs and staff
- Engage the HSIs in an ongoing dialogue on the educational challenges of Hispanics
- Increase faculty awareness of current workplace demands
The Department of Teacher Education provides teacher education programs and projects that serve K-12 education throughout the southern Colorado service region of the college. Efforts include initial licensure and graduate programs as well as symposia and partnerships that serve communities in a unique historical and cultural region that is 51% Hispanic, including many descendents of Spanish colonial settlers.
Medina received her undergraduate degree in secondary social studies education from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, her master's degree in liberal studies from St. John's College, Santa Fe, and her Ph.D. from the School of Education, University of Colorado, Boulder, focusing on issues of language and literacy for diverse population.
Blake received her undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, CA and her doctoral degree in Science and Religion (ethics) from the Graduate theological Union, Berkeley, CA. She teaches at both the graduate and undergraduate level, providing undergraduate courses in elementary and second science education and graduate courses in educational research and practitioner research. Currently she is serving as an intern/special assistant in the office of the President at Adams State College.
