The NCACTE Engaging Community and Creating Access (ECCA) SIG

The Engaging Community and Creating Access Special Interest Group (ECCA SIG) is one of two special interest groups of the NC Association of Colleges of Teacher Education. This SIG was formed in summer 2020 as a response to the continued violence and harm inflicted upon Black Americans in the United States.

Position of Solidarity

At that time, our parent organization, the NCACTE released a Position of Solidarity, which included the call for our organization to:

1. Explore those barriers which may prevent students from entering teacher preparation programs and work to remove these barriers;

2. Promote collaboration among all EPPs across North Carolina to establish honest, open and productive dialogue; and

3. Continue to work towards creating a more equitable “face” of North Carolina’s teaching force to ensure that ALL P-16 students are represented in this face. (NCACTE, 2020).

As a result of this call to action, a group of like-minded staff and faculty members from Educator Preparation Programs across the state, gathered together to create this SIG. Together, we aim to facilitate the aforementioned action items by creating opportunities for our members and other key stakeholders to engage in productive dialogue which leads to an improvement in practices, policies, and opportunities to recruit, prepare, and retain teachers who positively impact learning for students from all backgrounds.

Examples of our work thus far include:

  • Featured presentations at NCACTE 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023

  • Statewide virtual panels on teacher recruitment

  • Interactive data gathering sessions from stakeholders across the state

As we move forward in our work, we would like to:

  • Offer more professional development opportunities - virtual and in person

  • Create opportunities for like-minded folks to problem-solve and share best practices

  • Facilitate connections across institutions for funding and publishing

  • Leverage the expertise that exists in this state to advocate for policy change at local, regional, and state levels

Current ECCA SIG Leadership

Chair

Dr. Brenda Kennedy, Winston-Salem State University

Vice Chair 2022 -2025

Dr. Sarah Cannon, North Carolina State University

Secretary/Treasurer 2022-2024

Dr. Melanie Keel, Wingate University

At-Large Member

Dr. Morgan Bosch, Barton College

At-large Member

Dr. Heather Bower, Meredith College

At-large Member

Dr. Lane Wesson, Gardner-Webb University

At-large Member

Dr. Micha Jeffries, North Carolina State University

At-large Member

Dr. Charmion Rush, West Carolina University

At-large Member

Dr. Brian Williams, NC A&T University

Interested?

If this work interests you, fill out the interest form to be on our listserv.