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The Sachs Foundation Scholars Program is funded by a grant from the Sachs Foundation to support Black students at Colorado College interested in pursuing a career in education. The grant will be used to support summer fellowships, academic year internships, and scholarships, including two Master of Arts in Teaching scholarships annually for five years. [2021 Sachs Scholar Interviews]
Since 1931, the Sachs Foundation has operated with the mission of providing educational and professional opportunities to Black residents of Colorado. As a part of this mission, the Sachs Foundation is committed to increasing the number of Black teachers serving in Colorado, specifically in schools with large Black student populations. The foundation is dedicated to identifying Black students who are considering becoming educators, exposing them to opportunities that allow them to pursue teaching as a profession, supporting their education and certification as educators, and assisting in the training and development of Black teachers early in their careers.
The Education Department at Colorado College is a place of active inquiry, intellectual exploration, and community building. In the last decade, we have seen that teachers no longer have the economic means to afford quality graduate programs, as the debt burden is too much to take on considering the starting salaries for classroom teachers. The Sachs Foundation's interest in creating a fund to reduce the financial burden for Black students who wish to become educators will not only help the college achieve a vision of being more accessible and affordable, but together we will work to reduce the opportunity gap that exists throughout the country.
Expand the headings below for program details and links to the online application forms. For more information including a request for application, contact Debra Yazulla Mortenson, Director, Teacher Education Programs, at dmortenson@coloradocollege.edu.
Meet Our Current Sachs Scholars
Sachs Education Summer Fellows
There are four summer fellowships at $5,000 each, available annually to students who identify as Black. The intent is for Sachs Education Fellows to work within a program or organization serving minoritized K-12 students.
- $5,000 awarded at the beginning of the summer
- Open to current freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors who identify as Black and who have an interest in education
- General position duties will be determined based upon the context of the fellowship
Sachs Summer Fellows Application
Sachs Academic Year Internships
Sachs Academic Year Internships provide $1,000 per semester per student, for six students annually. Sachs Academic Year Interns will:
- Continue summer fellowship work if applicable
- Partner with the Education Department and the Collaborative for Community Engagement (CCE) to work with community organizations on their efforts to improve educational equity and access for K-12 students
- Work 5 to 10 hours per week
Sachs Academic Year Internship Application
Sachs MAT Scholars
The Sachs MAT Scholars program provides two scholarships equivalent to the full tuition ($40,000 each) for students who have just completed their bachelor's degree with at least a minor in education who enter the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program. The Sachs MAT Scholar program is open to both CC and non-Colorado College applicants who identify as Black.
Successful candidates will:
- Have a major GPA of at least 3.0 and if applicable, have an education minor GPA of at least 3.0
- Preference will be given to students who are from Colorado
- Be expected to complete all of their field experience in a public Colorado school that qualifies as Title I, with intent that the scholars will be hired at a school in Colorado
- Sign a letter of intent to be part of the Sachs Teacher Development Program, which provides the opportunity to receive $20,000 per year in stipend funding to continue their teaching in Colorado
Sachs MAT Scholars Application
For Community Partners
If your organization or school is interested in working with a CC Sachs Scholar, please fill out our Community Partner Interest Form and someone from the CC Education Department will contact you.
