Neag School Diversity and Inclusion Efforts

Neag School Diversity and Inclusion Plan

Adopted in September 2020, the Neag School’s 2020-25 Diversity and Inclusion Plan asserts the School’s dedication to living out its mission to improve educational and social systems, so they are more effective, equitable, and just for all, while also outlining concrete strategies for accomplishing the School’s goals.

The Neag School applies a broad definition of diversity that includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Visible attributes (age, race, ethnicity, gender, (dis)ability, physical attributes)
Invisible attributes (marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, (dis)ability, familial social status, marital status, religious beliefs, political affiliation)
Cultural differences (linguistic differences, national origin, life experiences, (dis)ability, veteran status)

As part of its diversity and inclusion efforts, the Neag School:

Equips and empowers students, faculty, and staff with the knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to live, work, and function in a diverse, globally integrated world;
Supports educators in making schools and classrooms caring and inclusive learning environments that do not tolerate injustices;
Helps educators, policymakers, curriculum developers, and others address concerns of equity and social justice through its production and dissemination of research;
Participates in creating an inclusive society by challenging inequities and injustices

Holmes Scholars Program

Established in 1991 by the Holmes Group and supported by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), the Holmes Scholars Program seeks to provide mentorship, peer support, professional development, and rich scholarly experiences to students from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds who are pursuing graduate degrees in education at AACTE member institutions. Since its inception, more than 700 Holmes Scholars have benefited from taking part in the program.

In Fall 2020, UConn’s Neag School of Education was selected to join the more than 50 higher education institutions nationwide currently sponsoring the Holmes Scholars Program.

Diversity in Teacher Education

Five Black adults stand in a row and smile at the camera. — Leadership in Diversity (LID) advisor Dominique Battle-Lawson, center, gathers with the LID executive board during the group's annual conference on April 5, 2025, in the Gentry Building. From left are Logan McCallum Laval ’24 (ED), ’25 MA; Carter Newman ’24 (ED), ’25 MA; Daniel Lozano ’24 (ED), ’25 MA; and Camille Terrell ’24 (ED), ’25 MA. (Nicole Dobrzanski/Neag School)

Project L.I.D.

Project L.I.D. (Leadership In Diversity) is dedicated to providing support for students from underrepresented backgrounds interested in the field of education. The aim is to help close the “lid” around educational equity and equip students with the necessary tools, networks, and information to be competitive, well-rounded future educators.

Past Initiatives

Changing the Demographic Makeup of the Teacher Workforce

From 2014-2019, the Neag School of Education was selected by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) as one of 10 institutions nationwide to participate in its Networked Improvement Community (NIC), which aimed to increase the number of Black and Latino men in teacher preparation and teaching. Participating institutions committed to increasing the number of young men of color in their teacher education programs by 25% over several years and to participating in a networked knowledge-sharing community on effective methods. By July 2016, the Neag School had nearly doubled the percentage of students of color in its teacher education program, going from roughly 12% of students to 20% entering the Fall 2016 cohort.

Connecticut Minority Teacher Recruitment Committee

Previously, Neag School faculty and staff were members of the Connecticut Minority Teacher Recruitment Committee, which sought to recruit, support and retain students of color into teacher preparation and the Connecticut teacher labor market.

Public Engagement

Husky Nutrition & Sport

Husky Nutrition & Sport is a community-campus partnership that utilizes the power of sport to connect and empower partners from the city of Hartford and the University of Connecticut.

Jesse Mala with Husky Sport program participants. — Husky Nutrition & Sport mentors lead middle school students in exercise in the gymnasium at the Journalism and Media Academy in Hartford on Jan. 22, 2016. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)

For two decades, Husky Nutrition & Sport and its partners have engaged in nutrition and physical activity education alongside youth, adult caregivers of children, and adults eligible to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - Education (SNAP-Ed). Collaborative partnerships and educational programs are facilitated within the City of Hartford and across the state of Connecticut.

UConn Husky Nutrition & Sport operates as a campus-community partnership striving towards:

right relationships
shared learning
equity-focused values and practices
relevant and representative engagement and education
the enhancement of individual and systemic level opportunities supporting healthy lifestyles

UNIV: Teaching for Social Justice

Teaching for social justice is a class that is open to anyone thinking about potentially entering into the field of education as a career. The class explores the impact that teaching has on society as a whole, and the role you may see yourself contributing to this impact as an agent of social change. Contact Neag School academic advisors for more information.

Student Support

Scholarships at the Neag School that focus in part on supporting students from underrepresented backgrounds include the following:

The Herbert and Sarah M. Gibor Charitable Foundation Scholarship Fund

This scholarship supports students enrolled in the Neag School and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, with priority consideration given to those who are members of a federally recognized or underrepresented group.

Minority Teacher Incentive Grant Program

The state of Connecticut’s Minority Teacher Incentive Grant Program provides up to $5,000 a year in the senior and master’s year of the IB/M teacher education program. Eligible students can also receive up to $2,500 in yearly stipends for up to four years of teaching in a Connecticut public elementary or secondary school.

Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program

Sushruta Kunnenkeri teaching students at NFA — Sushruta Kunnenkeri ’18 MA, a former Noyce Scholar and a grad of the Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates (TCPCG), leads a science lesson at Norwich Free Academy. Read his story. (Stefanie Dion Jones/Neag School)

The Noyce Scholarship was established for post-baccalaureate students holding STEM degrees who enroll in the Neag School’s accelerated Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates (TCPCG) program and who will be teaching in school districts with high needs.

The Philo T. Pritzkau Scholarship

The Pritzkau Scholarship, established by Philo T. Pritzkau, emeritus faculty member of the Neag School of Education, provides financial support for graduate students enrolled in the School. Priority consideration is given to African American, Hispanic American, and Native American students.

The Steven J. Smith Scholarship Fund

The Steven J. Smith Scholarship Fund, established in honor of Steven J. Smith, retired assistant dean of the Neag School, provides scholarship support to undergraduate students enrolled in the Neag School, with preference for a student in the sport management program and priority consideration given to a student who is a member of a federally recognized underrepresented group and who is an athlete.