A $1.1 million Governor’s Emergency Education Response grant was recently awarded to Mississippi College’s School of Education to make teacher advancement classes possible.

The GEER tuition assistance grant — created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic — will help the first 125 students to enroll — Mississippi teachers in K-12 classrooms for their first four classes.

The first four courses lead to an MC graduate certificate in online instruction and design. The classes can also be used toward a master’s degree in online instruction and design at MC.

Additional funding from the grant creates two faculty positions to support the program and provides training materials.

The classes will be offered both online and in a traditional format on the Clinton campus.

“We are very excited to be the recipients of a GEER grant,” said Melton.

MC Provost and Executive Vice President Keith Elder said the college is grateful that the state has enough confidence in MC “to equip teachers to meet the needs of students and move education forward.”

“An award of this amount lays a foundation that will help MC continue to be a leader in education and collaborate throughout Mississippi,” Elder said.