The University of Indianapolis’  first cohort of Woodrow Wilson Indiana Teaching Fellows got a close-up view this week of the school systems where they will be learning to teach through the innovative master’s degree program.

On Aug. 5 and 6, the 19 fellows visited their partner school districts, Decatur and Wayne townships on Indianapolis’ west side, for presentations by administrators and bus tours of the school facilities and the neighborhoods where students live.

The statistics they heard were eye-opening, in terms of the cultural diversity and the social challenges faced in those communities: In Wayne Township, for example, more than 50 percent of students are minorities, and many come from households where English is not the primary language, with a whopping 46 languages represented. More than 60 percent of Wayne’s students come from low-income families that qualify for free or reduced-price school meals.

“Our kids are poor – I’m going to tell you that upfront,” said Assistant Superintendent Lisa Lantrip, a native Westsider. “But just because you’re poor doesn’t mean you’re not smart, or that you can’t learn.”

Indiana is the testing ground for this new teacher preparation program, which the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation hopes to develop nationally. Aimed at top college graduates in math and science majors, as well as working professionals seeking a career change, the program offers a $30,000 stipend for an intensive year of work that includes not just education studies but considerable hands-on work in local schools. Upon earning their master’s degrees, the fellows commit to teaching in underserved urban and rural school systems for at least three years. In addition to UIndy, participating universities are Purdue, IUPUI and Ball State, with support from Lilly Endowment.

The goal is to improve math and science education by putting engineers, chemists and other top-notch specialists in the classroom. But the issues facing those new teachers extend beyond math and science, as was clear when the Wayne Township bus tour passed through the economically challenged Mars Hill and Haughville neighborhoods, where graffiti-covered walls indicate gang activity.

Passenger Keith Manring, who left his post as an editor at the Indianapolis Star to become a Woodrow Wilson fellow, tried to put the contrast in perspective.

“You’ve got to be aware of those needs, but you still need to be at the top of your game on the subject matter,” said Manring, who is blogging about his career-change experience.

Also on the tour was a video crew from WFYI in Indianapolis, which is tracking the fellows throughout their first year for an eventual documentary on the Woodrow Wilson program.

More stories about the Woodrow Wilson fellowship program at UIndy

PHOTOS

Above: Dr. Jeff Butts, an assistant superintendent for the MSD of Wayne Township, describes passing sights to a busload of Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellows from UIndy.

Below: A videographer from WFYI gathers footage as the fellows disembark.