Urban Teacher Residency Program

Since the summer of 2021, the Urban Teacher Residency Program at Western Michigan University has worked to develop an affordable pathway for long-term substitute teachers and paraprofessionals to become certified teachers in Benton Harbor Area Schools, Kalamazoo Public Schools and other districts statewide. Urban Teacher Residents receive a $20,000 stipend to participate in the program. The master's program meets state requirements to obtain elementary education certification at the graduate level.

To date, the program has graduated 32 residents who earned a master’s degree in elementary education. We are currently supporting our 3rd cohort of 18 residents with an expected graduation date of summer 2024. Our final cohort of residents will begin classes in summer 2024 and graduate in summer 2025. To learn more about other teacher preparation programs at the university, please visit https://wmich.edu/education/grow