For Students

The Center for Partnerships to Improve Education (CPIE) provides experiential learning opportunities to students in the School of Education through: 

Summer Research Employment

Since 2017, Summer Research Employment has provided a limited number of School of Education students the paid opportunity to gain research skills under the mentorship of an SOE faculty member during a summer session. CPIE serves as the hiring office and the faculty member provides direct supervision of the student employee. CPIE does not match interested students with faculty, therefore only students who have been invited by an SOE faculty member should apply. 

Learn more: View an infographic video about Summer Research Employment 
Read assessment reports: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, report on Faculty Mentored Research in EHHP

Classroom Library Project           

**Click to register. Registration deadline is Friday September 9, 2022**

Classroom Library Project promotes the availability and use of diverse and inclusive children's books in classrooms. CPIE, in partnership with the Office of Student Services and Credentialing, invites CofC clinical practice interns to participate each fall and spring semester. 

Here's how it works:

  • Participating interns select three book titles from the provided list of children's books. Open to early childhood, elementary, and special education majors only.
  • CPIE purchases two copies of each of the three selected books
  • The intern receives one copy to help build a collection of children's literature for their future classroom.  The second copy remains in the classroom in which the intern is currently working. 
  • The intern incorporates at least one of the books into classroom instruction and submits a reflective essay to CPIE. For the Fall 2022 semester, reflective essays are due to greenema1@cofc.edu by November 28th.

The book list is comprised of inclusive and diverse children's books representing a range of genres, including autobiographies, biographies, and memoirs; poetry and folktales; chapter books; and picture books. A sortable spreadsheet version of the book list is available here.

To participate, register here.

Learn more: View a video infographic about Classroom Library Project 
Read impact reports: 2021, 2017, 2016

Student Group Grants

**Click to apply for a Student Group Grant**

Student Group Grants are mini-grants for student groups housed in the School of Education. Eligible student groups may apply for up to $250 per academic year to support community initiatives that relate to education. Funds must be used for interactive projects involving the student group and the non-campus community.

Eligibility: Student groups can be (a) an application-based SOE-run program, such as Teaching Fellows, Call Me MISTER, or Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society, or (b) an SGA-recognized organization with an SOE faculty/staff advisor, such as the All Y'all Education Club. Please check with CPIE to confirm your eligibility. 

Non-campus community defined:  For the purposes of this grant, the non-campus community is defined as a particular school, organization, program, or neighborhood; government entity; business; or a specified audience within the general public. You are encouraged to check with CPIE prior to submitting your application.

Use of Funds: Grant funds may be used for materials, guest speakers, food, and travel that are directly related to an activity in which the student group will interact with the community. Funds may not be used for alcohol, drugs, tobacco, gift cards, tips (gratuity), monetary donations, scholarships, cash prizes, clothing, membership dues, fundraising, in-kind donations, or class projects.  Student groups receiving grant funds are expected to comply with all relevant College of Charleston policies and procedures regarding the planning and implementation of the activity. Please review these policies and procedures before applying for funds. CPIE accepts no responsibility for any violation of these guidelines.

Collaboration: Collaboration between student groups is encouraged. At least one of the collaborating groups must be housed in the School of Education, and all collaborating groups must be officially recognized by a College of Charleston department, school, or SGA.  Collaborating groups may submit a joint application for up to $250 per project or individual applications for up to $250 per group. Only groups housed in SOE may submit individual applications for funding, therefore cross-campus collaborations are eligible to submit a joint application only.

To apply for a Student Group Grant, submit your application at least 20 days prior to the proposed activity. 
 

Urban School Synergy

**Click to apply. Deadline is 9am on Friday August 26, 2022**

The Urban School Synergy program supports the preparation of education majors seeking more profound professional experiences in a partnering Title I school in Charleston County School District. The program offers a yearlong placement (final field + clinical practice internship) to a limited number of carefully selected College of Charleston students.

Students participating in Urban School Synergy complete the same degree requirements as their non-participating peers and benefit from a set of experiences designed to prepare them to make positive contributions to urban Title I schools. In addition to the yearlong placement in a Title I school, Urban School Synergy participants receive the following benefits:

  • A facilitated cohort experience with other Urban School Synergy participants
  • Paid registration to attend a fall conference. See application for details.
  • Paid registration and travel expenses (if in-person) to attend one day of the annual Equity in Education conference in Columbia (January)
  • Paid registration for one administration of the SC-required Praxis Subject Assessment (Praxis II) or Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) test
  • Opportunities to participate in school-specific professional development experience

Eligibility

  1. Full-time student in good standing at the College of Charleston
  2. Majoring in an eligible program of study. Programs of study will be determined in collaboration with the partner school(s).
  3. Expect to complete final field in the fall semester and clinical practice internship in the spring semester