The I-DREAM Project at East Central University
Innovation & Development through Resources, Education, Access, and Mentorship (I-DREAM) Center of Excellence in Educator Preparation
The Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Program is a federally authorized initiative under the Higher Education Act of 1965 supporting excellence in teacher preparation. Through this funding, East Central University’s College of Education & Psychology facilitates the Innovation & Development through Resources, Education, Access, and Mentorship (I-DREAM) Center of Excellence in Educator Preparation.
The I-DREAM Project is a five-year, $3.1 million federally supported initiative designed to strengthen Oklahoma’s teacher workforce by increasing participation and success among students who may face barriers to teacher preparation access. The project emphasizes place-based strategies and Indigenous-grounded pedagogy through the Family Education Model, an approach proven effective across tribal-college contexts for promoting student persistence and community connection.
I-DREAM supports students whose experiences and perspectives reflect the communities served by Oklahoma’s schools, including those with First American legal status, bilingual students, first-generation college students or individuals from rural backgrounds, whose preparation and participation are vital to the state’s educator workforce.
I-DREAM provides financial, academic, and holistic supports, as well as high-impact professional experiences, to prepare students for successful, sustainable careers in teaching and educational leadership.
Student Services:
- 30 student spots open annually
- $3000 scholarship per semester
- $1000 scholarship subsidy for students with dependents per semester
- Stipends for students who choose to join a language immersion program
- Additional tuition assistance toward I-DREAM required indigenous language coursework
- Any Tribal Language
- Spanish
- American Sign Language
- Summer Curriculum Development Camp Internship including on campus room and board
- Mentorship program
- Travel & professional development opportunities
- Laptop loan program
- Learning materials stipend
- Annual Networking Banquet
- Assistance with teacher certification & exam fees
- Student Teaching Fellowship - $2000 during student teaching semester
- Employment Incentive - $1000 stipend upon employment with a hard-to-staff Oklahoma public school
- Writing Center expansion to include graduate-level composition tutoring
- Subsidies for high school students attending ECU concurrently
Faculty/Curriculum
- Culturally sensitive advising training for faculty advisors across campus
- Culturally sensitive curriculum updates in core education courses
Campus Life
- Cash infusion for Native American Students Association (NASA) activities
- Student Family Resource Contact & NASA sponsor – to ease the minds of indigenous families sending their kids off to college
Eligible Programs
- Undergraduate:
- Elementary Education
- Early Childhood Education
- Art Teacher Certification
- Biology Teacher Certification
- Chemistry Teacher Certification
- English Teacher Certification
- History Teacher Certification
- Instrumental Music Teacher Certification
- Vocal Music Teacher Certification
- Mathematics Teacher Certification
- Physics Teacher Certification
- Graduate
- Education Leadership M Ed
- Education Specialist Ed S (School Psychology option)
- Library Media M Ed
- School Counseling M Ed
- School Psychometry M Ed
- Special Education M Ed
- Sports Administration M Ed
- Superintendent Certification Program
- Doctoral
- Rural Education Ed D
