Cal State San Bernardino’s College of Education is joining a nationwide movement of universities that are expanding the Sanford Inspire program in support of the professional development of teachers. The initiative is led by the private, nonprofit National University System/Sanford Programs to help develop teachers and improve student outcomes through collaborations such as this one with CSUSB. The first phase of the program through CSUSB will impact more than 15,000 students in the San Bernardino region’s K-12 classrooms. The Sanford Inspire program offers a toolkit of research-based teaching methodologies, and on-demand, self-guided modules that are accessible online to help teachers create inspiring classroom environments. CSUSB’s goal will be focusing particularly on the teachers who mentor and supervise the candidates in CSUSB’s teacher preparation program, intern teacher candidates and alumni. Kathryn Howard, chair of the CSUSB Department of Teacher Education, and Jacqueline Hughes, professor and fieldwork coordinator for Multiple and Single Subjects Credential Programs, will serve as principle investigators for the project. “This project gives CSUSB the opportunity to engage teachers and teacher candidates across our region to deepen their understanding of key areas of practice, not only through the high-quality professional learning modules prepared by Sanford Inspire’s expert team, but also through sustained engagement and implementation in their classrooms in the context of our Professional Learning Communities,” Howard said. “We are especially excited to develop, through this process, educational leaders who will bring their expertise back to their colleagues in the school districts we serve.” Jake Zhu, interim dean of CSUSB’s College of Education, agreed. “This comes at just the right time as the College of Education works to strengthen and expand our partnerships with local districts and schools,” Zhu said. “Collaboratively, we will work together to address the teacher shortage crisis that California is facing today. Sanford Inspire will provide resources and tools needed by our faculty as they set out to accomplish these goals.” “Sanford Inspire was designed to provide teachers with access to high-quality, research-based resources to help teachers integrate inspiring lessons and activities into their classrooms,” said Scott Page, senior vice president of the Sanford Programs based out of the National University System. “We are truly excited to support CSUSB’s efforts to offer ongoing professional development for educators as it represents an opportunity to advance the goals of the program’s visionary, philanthropist T. Denny Sanford, and aligns with our collective mission to support teachers nationwide.” The Sanford Inspire program was based on philanthropist T. Denny Sanford’s desire to ensure that students are inspired to learn by teachers who have access to high-quality resources to create inspirational classrooms and learning environments. The program is administered and being expanded by the San Diego-based National University System (NUS), a network of affiliated private, nonprofit universities that also include teacher education programs through the Ph.D level. Among the system affiliates, National University recommends more teachers for credentials than any other university in the state of California. The CSUSB College of Education is the San Bernardino region’s chief teacher preparation institution, and through it, the Sanford Inspire program’s reach will be broad. The college will connect with all school districts that are currently partners with CSUSB for student teaching with its Multiple and Single Subjects Credential Program – a total of 23 districts across San Bernardino and Riverside counties. In addition, the CSUSB College of Education has memorandums of understanding with more than 50 school districts that are eligible to work with its intern teachers and education specialist interns. Through that, the CSUSB aims to reach approximately 100 in-service resident teachers, 250 teachers who are alumni, and 40 current interns in the first 18 months of implementation with estimated participant count of 450 teaching professionals.  Once they become familiar with the Sanford Inspire programs and tools, some of them will be trained to lead Professional Learning Communities (PLC) at their schools, allowing them to share their knowledge with their colleagues. Because the Sanford Inspire tools – primarily the Sanford On-Demand Modules – can be customized, each PLC can determine which ones to use based on their needs and interests. The Sanford Inspire content is organized into five areas, or domains: the learning environment of the classroom; planning and delivery of instruction; motivation; student growth and achievement; and professional practices. CSUSB joins this list of institutions that are advancing the Sanford Inspire program: 

  • National University 
  • Arizona State University 
  • Albany State University 
  • Alcorn State University 
  • Bellevue University 
  • Central Connecticut State University
  • City University of Seattle
  • Dakota State University 
  • East Carolina University 
  • Fort Hays State University
  • Kentucky State University 
  • Long Island University 
  • National Louis University 
  • Northwestern College 
  • Nova Southeastern University 
  • South Dakota State University 
  • Spelman College 
  • Texas A& M International University 
  • University of Central Arkansas
  • University of Texas of the Permian Basin
  • University of Wyoming

 About the National University System and Sanford ProgramsThe National University System is a network of accredited nonprofit education institutions serving higher education and PreK-12 students that includes National University, John F. Kennedy University, City University of Seattle, Northcentral University and the Division of Pre-College Programs. Established in 2001 to meet the emerging challenges and demands of education in the 21st Century, the network's complementary universities offer pathways for students to attain professional and terminal degrees through quality and innovative programs delivered in a format that is flexible to the needs of adult learners. National University, which was founded in in 1971, is among the largest private, nonprofit institutions of higher education in California; its Sanford College of Education is among the Top Ten largest schools of education in the country and prepares more teachers than any other university in the state of California. The National University System is leading the national expansion of three initiatives, which are based on the vision of philanthropist T. Denny Sanford to support children, educators and nonprofits: Sanford Harmony, Sanford Inspire and the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy Visit the National University website  for more information. For more information on Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university’s Office of Strategic Communication at (909) 537-5007 and visit inside.csusb.edu.