Nov 05, 2014 11:45 PM EST By J Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

Harvard University is planning to launch a fellowship program to prepare undergraduates to enter a teaching career, school officials announced.

The Harvard Teacher Fellows (HTF) program, an innovative new pathway for Harvard College undergraduates to enter a teaching career, will offer free, world-class teacher preparation for Harvard College seniors to become middle school and high school mathematics, science, history, and English teachers, Education Week reported.

"At a time when the importance of excellent teachers has been further reinforced by recent research, the Harvard Teacher Fellows program is designed to attract and support talented students to a vitally important profession," Harvard University President Drew Faust said in a statement. "Research shows that great teachers can have a great impact -- on both students and the schools that serve them. The Harvard Teacher Fellows program will be an innovative and important contribution to strengthening K-12 education by giving new teachers the tools to succeed in the classroom and offering children throughout the country the transformative benefits of high-quality instruction."

The program, designed by HGSE faculty experts in teaching and learning, will prepare teachers in three distinct ways. It will train students to teach specific subjects, prepare students to be competent teachers through field-based training from their first day on the job, and provide continued resources and supports necessary to enable students to remain in teaching.

"I am thrilled that the Harvard Graduate School of Education will launch the innovative Harvard Teacher Fellows program," Dean James Ryan said in a statement. "We believe that Harvard undergraduates, who have demonstrated a strong interest in education, will see HTF as an attractive pathway into teaching because of the field-based and subject-specific training it offers, as well as the strong support they will receive during their first years on the job. The unique depth and breadth of ongoing support will provide fellows with the tools to be successful in the classroom on day one, and to then remain in teaching for years to come. "

The first cohort of seniors can apply in Fall 2015 for a Spring 2016 enrollment. Ultimately, HGSE hopes to grow the cohort to 100 Harvard seniors each year.

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