PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State University’s highly successful Future Teachers of Color program is now the university’s first endowed minority outreach effort.
According to Steve Nakata, director of WSU’s Office of Multicultural Student Services, FTOC — the WSU College of Education’s recruitment and retention program for multicultural undergraduate education students — was endowed from an $187,000 gift from the estate of Bellevue music teacher James Taylor.
With the endowment, the program is funded in perpetuity, providing it a constant source of funds. Beginning the 2001-2002 academic year, the bequest will provide FTOC with approximately $7,500 annually for scholarships or program support.
“With this gift, FTOC becomes the first endowed program related to diversity at WSU,” Nakata said. “This was a terrific way to recognize and support a program that has demonstrated significant success in recruiting students of color to WSU.”
Milton Lang, the director of student recruitment and retention at the College of Education who established and still coordinates the FTOC Program, said Taylor’s gift provides long-term stability for this program to diversify Washington’s teaching force.
“With this bequest, and the other support we have received, we will be able to maintain our commitment to the program and our commitment to the state’s multicultural communities,” Lang said. “We appreciate this generous and thoughtful gift.”
In addition to Taylor’s bequest, FTOC has been supported the past seven years by The Kenneth and Marleen Alhadeff Charitable Foundation. In September, the Charlotte Y. Martin Foundation provided $30,000 to support recruitment and mentor activities.
