ELL Co-op: "Everybody Teaches, Everybody Learns"
The English Language Learning and Teaching Professional Development Cooperative of New Hampshire (ELL Co-op) is a five-year federally funded project that provides tuition support for individuals pursuing ESOL certification in New Hampshire. In its first four years, ELL Co-op has provided over $600,000 worth of tuition for UNH students and over $100,000 in professional development and materials to teachers in Manchester, Nashua, and across the state. Tuition support is available for coursework and practica/internships.
The goal of ELL Co-op is to improve academic achievement of all K-12 English Language Learners in New Hampshire by creating a comprehensive and coordinated network of professional development opportunities and resources for education professionals across the state. It is founded on the principles of shared responsibility for students' academic success and that collaborative opportunities for professional learning increase the effectiveness of professional development at the individual (e.g., teacher, specialist) and building level.
The notion of "shared responsibility" is inherent in the "cooperative" name of the project and its slogan, "Everybody teaches, everybody learns." Anyone who receives financial support from the grant is expected to make a contribution to the professional community. Examples include presenting at our annual Teachers as Researchers Conference or the Northern New England TESOL Conference; organizing a seminar or community event related to ELL education for mainstream teachers/administrators; and sharing lesson plans and unit plans developed in courses with the larger community.
Tuition support is availabile for eligible applicants through June 2012. Interested students/teachers should contact Wendy Perron.
Contact Information
For more information on the ELL Co-op, contact Project Assistant, Wendy Perron or download the latest flyer.
ELL Co-op addresses the following needs which have been identified as the most pressing in ELL education in New Hampshire:
- Growing an extremely diverse ELL population
- An underachieving ELL population
- A critical shortage of teachers and professionals trained in second language acquisition and culturally/linguistically responsive teaching
- Teachers grappling with making new academic achievement standards accessible to English language learners
- Funding gaps in schools serving ELLs
- The increasing cost of post-secondary education that deters some professionals from pursuing ESOL certification
Who is eligible to receive tuition support for ESOL certification courses?
Matriculating UNH students who are pursuing ESOL certification (through our graduate or certification only programs) have top priority for funding but teachers in partnership schools with significant numbers of ELLs in their classroom are also eligible.
