Daemen College has struck a new partnership with the Charter School of Inquiry (CSI) that will establish a collaborative approach to learning through multidisciplinary professional development training. Daemen faculty will work with Daemen teacher candidates to design unique classroom programming and projects for CSI teachers/students, designed using the latest educational trends.
The symbiotic partnership will allow CSI students/teachers to benefit firsthand from the arrangement, by working in tandem with the college to create a more dynamic learning environment. At the same time, Daemen teacher candidates will be rewarded with practical field experience, while Daemen faculty will reap the benefits of seeing their teachings translated into real life learning exercises.
“We are very proud of this collaborative relationship with the Charter School of Inquiry and look forward to working together on initiatives that will be mutually beneficial to students and faculty at both institutions,” said Dr. Michael Brogan, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college. “As a leader in higher education, Daemen recognizes the value of this partnership in preparing the educators of tomorrow while also fostering the academic success and professional development at our partner school.”
The Charter School of Inquiry, which opened its doors in 2015, offers an inquiry-based learning environment with an intense focus on learning to read and write well in all subject areas.
Robert Fetter, head of school at CSI, said, “This collaboration will offer Daemen students the opportunity to develop their skills as teachers and also introduce our faculty and staff to innovative techniques that will have a positive impact on the learning experience for CSI students. We envision this partnership as an important part of fulfilling our vision of becoming a model school of urban educational excellence.”
In order to ensure that there are ample resources to facilitate this partnership, a collaborative classroom space will be created at CSI, where educators can accommodate professional development training and programs. In exchange, CSI faculty will be afforded opportunities to serve on Daemen’s Teacher Leadership Quality Partnership group, which will help to further their own professional aspirations. Other partnership benefits include:
- Daemen faculty will help to create African-American literacy modules to support culturally relevant teaching in the classroom.
- Daemen will provide expert assistance and training on behavior management assessment to CSI faculty, teaching assistants, and teacher aides
“Ultimately, this collaborative endeavor will prepare and support educational opportunities for our teacher candidates and bring Daemen’s expertise directly to the Charter School of Inquiry,” said Elizabeth Wright, dean of the Daemen Division of Health and Human Services. “This partnership will enhance our role as educators of teachers and build on our shared commitment with the charter school to help nurture high levels of learning. For Daemen, this partnership will offer practical and other vital learning experiences to our teacher candidates. As this cooperative endeavor continues to evolve, we are excited about the possibilities in deepening our relationship with the Charter School of Inquiry and having an even greater impact on our students.”