Nevada State University, Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) and Western Nevada College (WNC) have received a five-year, $4.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to open a new path into teaching for students in rural Nevada. The award comes through the department’s Title III Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP).
The project, called SAGE — Strategic Alliance to Graduate Educators — responds to a well-documented statewide shortage. The Nevada Department of Education reports that in the 2023-24 school year, the state had 2,958 unfilled teacher positions, 6,655 teachers not fully certified for their assignments and 4,827 long-term substitutes covering classrooms. Rural and frontier communities, including Churchill, Lyon, Douglas, Storey and Mineral counties and rural parts of Washoe and Clark counties, feel the shortage acutely.
“Nevada’s teacher shortage calls for innovative solutions and strong partnerships,” said Nevada State University President Dr. Sandra B. Richtermeyer. “By working together with Truckee Meadows Community College and Western Nevada College, we are creating new pathways for aspiring teachers to earn their degrees while remaining connected to the communities they call home. This investment will expand educational opportunity, strengthen Nevada’s teaching workforce and help build a brighter future for students across our state.”
Through the new 3+1 pathway, students will complete three years of coursework at TMCC or WNC before transferring to Nevada State for a final year to finish a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, which leads to eligibility for a Nevada teaching license.
“Rural Nevada needs more teachers, and many of the people who can fill that need already call these communities home,” said Dr. J. Kyle Dalpe, president of Western Nevada College. “SAGE will help aspiring teachers continue their education close to home while balancing work and family responsibilities, preparing them to serve in the communities that need them.”
Nevada State will house grant-funded faculty on the TMCC campus so students can complete their baccalaureate without leaving northern Nevada. An articulation agreement among the three institutions will streamline the transfer process. In the grant’s final two years, the partners plan to add a special education emphasis; another area Nevada school districts have named a critical need.
“A clear path from community college to a bachelor’s degree can make a teaching career possible for more students,” said Truckee Meadows Community College President Dr. Jeffrey Alexander. “By aligning and coordinating coursework across our institutions, we can help students move forward with confidence and prepare to serve in classrooms throughout northern Nevada.”
Currently, many rural teacher candidates drive long distances or relocate to finish their degrees. SAGE will establish agreements with rural school districts so teacher candidates can complete student teaching and field placements close to home, with grant-funded staff traveling to rural districts to complete required observations and evaluations.
The project will also create a Responsible AI in Schools micro-credential and build AI literacy into coursework, drawing on the U.S. Department of Labor’s AI guidelines. Teacher candidates will practice classroom management and instruction with AI-enabled simulation tools before they enter real classrooms.
Nevada State School of Education Dean Bernnell Peltier-Glaze will direct the project. TMCC Dean of Business and Social Science Amy Williams and WNC education professor Dr. Patrick Bell will lead the work at their institutions. Nevada System of Higher Education Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs Dr. Gwen Sharp served as the primary author of the grant proposal that led to the award.
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About Nevada State University
Nevada State University (Nevada State), an independently accredited public institution, is a member of the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). Nevada State is located on a developing 500-acre campus in the foothills of Henderson, Nevada, and will be opening a campus in the City of North Las Vegas in the fall of 2027. Nevada State emphasizes high-quality instruction, exemplary service, engaging learning experiences, and innovation in support of Nevada’s growing workforce needs. Nevada State offers more than 65 majors and minors, as well as select graduate programs, and continues to expand its physical campus and reach across the state. Committed to fostering a personal learning environment, students are taught by faculty who serve as mentors and guides in classrooms with an average class size under 25 students. Nevada State serves more than 8,400 students and has more than 10,000 alumni. For more information, visit https://nevadastate.edu.
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