School of Education
Your support prepares excellent, equity-minded teachers who inspire students and strengthen communities.
Your support prepares excellent, equity-minded teachers who inspire students and strengthen communities.
Our mission is to help shape a brighter future for children through thoughtful, forward-looking teaching practices. While we honor what works from the past, our focus remains on preparing educators to meet the needs of today's classrooms and tomorrow's challenges. With your support, we're working to enhance how educators teach and lead.
Through collaborative programming and strong partnerships, we strive to support the success of our graduates – and the students, school and communities they serve. Since 2000, eight of University of St. Thomas School of Education alumni have been named Minnesota Teacher of the Year, a reflection of our high standards and effective training.
We are committed to educational equity and excellence by preparing teachers across all grade levels and backgrounds. This includes offering licensure in six high-need special education areas, as well as math and science – both designated shortage fields. Your support helps ensure that educators are not only well-prepared but also equipped to make a meaningful impact where they are needed most.
Have questions or want to make a meaningful impact? Contact a gift officer to learn more.
Senior Director of External and Corporate Relations, School of Education
(651) 962-6907
Representation Matters: Research shows that having a diverse teacher workforce can lead to higher levels of student achievement. In Minnesota, the current teaching force is 96% white, even though students of color make up 30% of the K-12 population. Through unique program models and non-traditional residency programs, we are diversifying the education workforce in order to better serve our schools and communities.
Investing in Educators: To ensure our programs are accessible, scholarships are our top fundraising priority. Scholarships fuel unique programs like our 18-month residency program – which has one of the highest retention rates for new teachers in Minnesota – our Catholic teacher corps and our newest initiative, the undergraduate residency program. Through scholarships, we're ensuring that our most talented aspiring teachers are never prevented from reaching their full potential.
Serving Our Community: The evolution of Pre-K-12 education requires collaboration with community partners to help guide the necessary and transformative work our teachers are doing in the classroom, as well as the innovative changes that leaders are making in schools. We partner with public schools, charter and parochial schools, and nonprofits to ensure that we are serving the best interests of every child.
Your support strengthens programs that prepare teachers, expand equity, and enhance education in our communities.
Your gift makes it possible for future teachers to learn by doing. Residency programs reduce barriers to entering the teaching profession while providing hands-on classroom training with experienced mentors. By supporting residencies, you're preparing confident, well-equipped teachers who are ready to lead inclusive, effective classrooms from day one.
Support a mission-driven program that equips teachers to serve Catholic schools while receiving professional, academic, and spiritual formation. Your generosity fosters a sense of vocation and service, empowering educators to create lasting impact in faith-based classrooms and communities.
Transform the future of teacher education at St. Thomas through a naming gift. Your investment strengthens the visibility of the School of Education and supports programs, centers, and collaborative initiatives that prepare the next generation of educators and leaders.
Acutely aware of the power teachers have to truly impact students' lives, Dean Dr. Amy Smith is passionate that every child – regardless of ZIP code, race or gender – deserves excellent educators.
With a commitment to supporting children, Smith works to make positive change happen by embracing a collaborative and community-based approach to tackling complex challenges facing education today.
We don’t just talk about making an impact on our community; we're making a difference in our community every single day. St. Thomas’ School of Education partners with Maxfield Elementary in the St. Paul Public Schools to better prepare future teachers, while bringing innovative instruction, professional development, and research to one of their longest-serving elementary schools.
When you make a gift to the School of Education, you are truly investing in the future. The impact of your support is multiplied through the countless children our graduates will teach throughout their careers.