Centers, Services, and Special Programs

Diverse Pathways in Teacher Preparation

The Diverse Pathways in Teacher Preparation Project is a partnership effort with Trident Technical College (TTC), Charleston County School District (CCSD), and College of Charleston (CofC) that offers opportunities for individuals, especially minorities, who begin at the technical college to obtain their bachelor's degree in education.

The primary goal of this project is to support the development of a highly qualified teaching force in South Carolina that reflects the diversity of the state's population.

This Title II Teacher Quality Partners Project is funded by the United States Department of Education Partnership Grant for Improving Teacher Participation.

Call Me MISTER

The "Call Me MISTER" program is an effort to address the critical shortage of African American male teachers particularly among South Carolina's lowest performing schools. Program participants are selected from among under-served, socio-economically disadvantaged and educationally at-risk communities.

The project provides:

• Tuition assistance for admitted students pursuing approved programs of study at participating colleges.
• An academic support system to help assure their success.
• A cohort system for social and cultural support.

Partners for Acceleration

Members of Partners for Acceleration (formerly South Carolina Accelerated Schools Plus) offer training, network meetings, site visits and access to national Accelerated Schools Plus resources to participating schools. The SCASP is a comprehensive approach to school change, designed to improve schooling for all children, especially those in "at-risk" situations. Instead of placing student into remedial classes, accelerated school communities accelerate learning by providing all students with challenging activities that traditionally have been reserved only for students identified as gifted and talented.

N. E. Miles Early Childhood Development Center

The Early Childhood Development Center is a learning laboratory and preschool for children ages two through five-year-olds located on the College of Charleston campus. C of C graduate and undergraduate classes in education and psychology use ECDC as an observation and training site. Further, several graduate assistantships are available to students each year in this facility. Children of C of C students receive priority enrollment. Director: Candace Jaruszewicz, (843) 953-5606

Lowcountry Hall of Math and Science

The Lowcountry Hall of Math and Science, at the College of Charleston, brings together under one roof a cooperative partnership involving four Program Offices, each dedicated to improving science and math literacy throughout the Lowcountry. The Charleston Math & Science Hub is one of 13 Hubs in South Carolina established by the National Science Foundation's South Carolina Statewide Systemic Initiative (SC SSI) to encourage improvements in science, mathematics, and technology education through comprehensive systemic change. The goal of the SC SSI and its Hubs is for all South Carolina students to meet new and more challenging expectations for learning mathematics and science.

Center for Partnerships to Improve Education

The mission of the Center for Partnerships to Improve Education is to improve students’ level of education achievement by creating effective partnerships among the College of Charleston, school districts, businesses, families, and the greater community. Located at the College of Charleston’s School of Education, Health, and Human Performance, it was established in 2005 to address improvement of K-12 education in South Carolina. The Center for Partnerships to Improve Education is a non-profit educational organization charged with addressing and resolving through collaborative effort, the conflicts that confront underachieving school communities.

Center of Excellence for the Advancement of New Literacies in Middle Grades

The grant-funded Center for the Advancement of New Literacies in Middle Grades is a collaboration between the College of Charleston and the Charleston County School District and is funded by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education. The Center's faculty works collaboratively with English/Language Arts, Social Studies, and Special Education teachers in targeted underperforming middle schools to assist in developing meaningful new literacies teaching strategies and activities in order to improve student achievement.

Memminger Partnership

A partnership between Memminger Elementary School, Charleston County School District and the College of Charleston's School of Education, Health, and Human Performance. The purpose of this partnership is to maximize our resources and work together to improve results for Memminger Elementary students and novice teachers enrolled in College of Charleston teacher education programs. Visit the Memminger Partnership website.

Professional Development in Education

Numerous school districts and educational service agencies are served each year by the School of Education, Health, and Human Performance's professional development courses. The primary purpose of the Office of Professional Development in Education (OPDE) is to provide professionally oriented graduate courses in collaboration with schools, districts, and other agencies which offer professional development experiences for educators.  OPDE works with practitioners to design quality, rigorous graduate level courses which meet academic standards of the University at the same time they address a particular school, district, or other educational agency initiative or need. The South Carolina Standards for Professional Development guide course proposal development. For more information call (843) 953-7651 or visit the Professional Development in Education website.

Teaching Fellows

The School of Education, Health, and Human Performance participates in the Teaching Fellows program, which recruits academically strong South Carolina high school students who want to become teachers in the state's public schools. The program offers students personal attention and opportunities for leadership enhancement, service and enrichment. Students are given a full academic scholarship and agree to return to teach in South Carolina schools, one year for each year of their scholarship.