DeKalb — New incentives for Illinois high school students graduating with the College and Career Pathway Endorsement in Education are now available from the Northern Illinois University College of Education and the Education Systems Center at NIU.
Starting immediately, CCPE-endorsed students who apply, and are accepted, to attend the College of Education and its highly accredited licensure programs are automatically advanced as finalists to receive select scholarships and to participate in its innovative Educate and Engage program.
Laurie Elish-Piper, dean of the NIU College of Education, says that the college is “ready to help these students reach their full potential.”
“Illinois is facing a critical shortage in educators, and we believe high school graduates who earn the College and Career Pathway Endorsement will become a vital stream in our state’s teacher pipeline,” Elish-Piper says. “The rigor of the endorsement program ensures us that these Education Pathway graduates will be some of our strongest candidates for admission.”
For the first time, the NIU College of Education will automatically advance students with the CCPE in education to the final stages for:
its Dean’s Achievement Scholarship, a $2,000 award;
the Future Educators Scholarship, also a $2,000 award; and

the Mary F. English Technology Award, which awards recipients with new iPads and new laptop computers for their academic, personal and professional use.
Once admitted, Huskies with the CCPE in Education who remain in good academic standing will also be automatic finalists for the Educate Series (Educate Local, Educate U.S. and Educate Global), part of the College of Education’s experiential learning program.
These experiences connect select teacher-candidates with hands-on learning opportunities in diverse settings regionally, nationally and even globally.
Jon Furr and Juan Jose Gonzalez of EdSystems are excited by the partnership and its potential impact on Illinois classrooms.
“What the College of Education has done is create currency for Education Pathway students,” says Furr, the executive director.
“Through this offer, potential Education Pathway students can realize that earning the CCPE has value and can give them clear advantages toward reaching their goals,” Furr adds. “We hope to see more scholarship and postsecondary opportunities develop across the state for graduates of all of our CCPE areas.”
“The new College and Career Pathway Endorsement in Education promises to ensure not only that students are ready for the rigors of college,” says Gonzalez, director of Pathways at EdSystems, “but that they are uniquely prepared for and passionate about a career in education.”
Partnering with the NIU College of Education only adds to the innovative programs underway.
EdSystems announced in December a similar partnership with Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois, which is automatically advancing any applicants who have earned or are on track to earn the CCPE to the final stage of the application process.
Meanwhile, its Scaling Education Pathways in Illinois (SEPI) initiative is funding nine communities to build streamlined teacher career pathways that begin in high school, extend into postsecondary and allow students to get on a strong path to teacher licensure.
“We are helping districts across Illinois recruit and prepare Education Pathway students who reflect the diversity of their own communities,” Gonzalez says.
Organizations interested in designing incentives for any of the pathway endorsement areas can contact Juan Jose Gonzalez at 312-989-3888 or educationsystems@niu.edu.