The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) received approval from the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) Board of Trustees to establish the Mississippi Center for Apprenticeships and Residency in Education (MCARE).
“Establishing MCARE elevates our existing work in supporting high-quality training for teacher candidates, and we look forward to new opportunities to collaborate with partners statewide to expand these efforts,” said Andrea Krell, instructor and director of teacher residency at USM.
MCARE’s purpose is to provide accessible pathways and career advancement in education. This will be accomplished by centralizing support for multiple novel routes into the teaching profession (teacher residency and teacher apprenticeship) in addition to offering a new Registered Principal Apprenticeship Program for professionals seeking to advance in the educational sector.
The Center’s application to IHL acknowledged the state of Mississippi is experiencing a daunting teacher shortage that, if left unaddressed, will impact students for years to come. As a university whose founding was as a teachers’ college, Southern Miss is committed to strengthening existing pathways and exploring new methods to produce the most effective teachers who persist in the profession.
“The University of Southern Mississippi has once again demonstrated its commitment to educational excellence and innovation by establishing the Mississippi Center for Apprenticeships and Residency in Education,” said Dr. Kathlene Campbell, CEO of the National Center for Teacher Residencies. “This initiative not only enhances the preparation opportunities for aspiring educators but also strengthens the state’s educational framework, ensuring a brighter future for their students and community.”
The first cohort of undergraduate teacher residents at USM began in fall 2019, followed by graduate student cohorts beginning in summer 2022. To date, 94 students have graduated and launched successful careers in education as a result. This fundamentally different approach to training teacher candidates integrates a year-long mentored teaching experience with academic coursework that aligns with everyday classroom experiences. Graduates enter their first full-time jobs with invaluable preparation and a true understanding of what it takes to be a teacher.
In an effort to further impact Mississippi’s teacher shortage, USM added an apprenticeship pathway. In 2024, Southern Miss became the first Registered Teacher Apprenticeship program in the state and was awarded an Apprenticeship Building America grant worth $3.8 million from the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration. Apprentices receive on-the-job training and related instruction, ultimately earning both a degree and a teaching license upon completion of the program.
“The launch of MCARE marks a transformative moment for teacher preparation in Mississippi,” said Dr. Trent Gould, dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences at USM. “By establishing a statewide hub for teacher residency and apprenticeship training, Southern Miss is not only expanding access to the profession but also reimagining how educators are developed and supported. We are deeply committed to addressing the teacher shortage with bold, scalable solutions, and I could not be more proud of the visionary work underway at this Center. MCARE is poised to become a model for the state and the region.”
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