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K-State College of Education

College of Education earns national diversity award

Dean Debbie Mercer and Amanda Morales are presented with a prestigious diversity award from AACTE.
Dean Debbie Mercer and Amanda Morales are presented with a prestigious diversity award from AACTE.

The College of Education received a national award for global teacher education based on its nearly four decades of inclusion and commitment to diversity.

The college was presented with the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education – Best Practice Award in Support of Global and International Teacher Education at the association’s 67th Annual Meeting in Atlanta Feb. 27. Debbie Mercer, dean; Amanda Morales, assistant professor and diversity coordinator; and Tonnie Martinez, assistant professor; accepted the award.

“Diversity isn’t a class that is taught within our college,” Mercer said. “Diversity is how we live, it is how we relate to others, and it is how we prepare future teachers to educate all of the students in their classrooms. This award is particularly meaningful as it affirms that we are taking the right steps at the right time, and are truly impacting the education students receive in Kansas as well as students far beyond our state’s and nation’s borders.”

Morales drafted the five-page application with support from Kevin Murry, associate professor, detailing the college’s many initiatives, which center on the concept that diversity is a collective responsibility that is woven into every aspect of the college’s teacher education program.