Project EXCEL: A Teacher Education Partnership for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities

Geographic And Historical Context

Project EXCEL (EXCEptional Learners) is a partnership between researchers and teacher educators at two institutions, the University of the District of Columbia and the University of Maryland College Park. These two schools, although in separate states, are only 10 miles apart. Although they may attract different students, based on their location, history, and programs, their surrounding communities can aid in populating both schools’ teacher preparation programs, particularly in terms of a pipeline from and into diverse communities. The surrounding neighborhoods represent one of the most diverse areas in the DMV. The rectangular-shaped District of Columbia borders Maryland on the northeast and southeast and is across the Potomac River from Virginia on the northwest and southwest borders. In this region, there is a multitude of opportunities for IHEs to have an impact on schools, families, the community, organizations, and businesses in the surrounding area. Commuters who live or work in the DMV collaborate with schools in their work communities when their businesses have existing partnerships with the aforementioned IHEs, and universities in the DMV may be positioned to join existing partnerships with IHEs and begin new ones to align with some of the outreach and service-oriented missions of those businesses. Other IHEs in close proximity may want to consider engaging in such collaborative efforts.