Elmhurst University has been awarded a $1.9 million U.S. Department of Education grant to support the School of Education’s mission to attract a more diverse pool of students and to prepare more bilingual teachers.

Elmhurst was one of just 26 higher-education institutions and just 15 Hispanic-Serving Institutions nationwide to earn the Hawkins Center of Excellence Program grant.

Samina Hadi-Tabassum, Ed.D., dean of the School of Education, said the grant is a “game-changer” in the school’s efforts to build a pipeline of students from neighboring Hispanic-serving high schools to Elmhurst U. and produce future bilingual teachers.

“Demographics are shifting, and we need more bilingual teachers in our schools,” said Hadi-Tabassum, who is in her second year as dean of the School of Education. “Elmhurst University has a strong bilingual and ESL education program, and we can now expand our expertise to places and spaces beyond our immediate reach.”

Hawkins Program grants are designed to increase the number of well-prepared teachers and the diversity of the teacher workforce, with a focus on increasing and retaining a diverse teacher workforce and improving the preparation, recruitment, retention and placement of such teachers.

The grant will enhance Elmhurst’s comprehensive curriculum and provide supportive experiences that will enable students to excel as inclusive leaders throughout their careers. In its first year, the grant provides $334,074 to support the School of Education’s project “Ensuring Equity Through Community: Cultivating Bilingual Teachers in Culturally and Linguistically Affirming Pathways.” The project has six main goals:

• Increase participation in Elmhurst’s dual-credit high school program to 180 to 225 students earning pre-licensure college credit.
• Increase support and retention of teacher candidates of color by creating affinity groups that will serve 80 to 100 students of color each year of the five-year project.
• Award $10,000 scholarships for teacher candidates seeking a bilingual and/or ESL endorsement — $500,000 in scholarships over five years.
• Provide micro credentialing workshops for 100 to 125 students to improve Spanish language pedagogical skills prior to student teaching in bilingual classrooms, resulting in an increase in self-efficacy and competency.
• Create a mentoring program between pre-service bilingual teacher candidates and in-service teachers in partner school districts to support and retain these 100 to 125 candidates.
• Host a summer dual-language academy beginning in July 2026 for 800 participants over five years to support pre-service and in-service teachers, instructional and teacher leaders, administrators, students and families.

Beyond academic benefits, the grant boosts Elmhurst’s reputation as an institution dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion, Hadi-Tabassum said. “It puts us on the map — we’re doing things that are right,” she said. “This will bring us name recognition and esteem as a school of education that values multilingualism and immigrant experiences.”