Sedgwick Invests $1 Million in UofM's River City Partnership

March 27, 2018 - Sedgwick Claims Management Services, Inc. has made a $1 million commitment to support the University of Memphis' River City Partnership. The River City Partnership engages talent and scholarship from the UofM through a partnership with Shelby County Schools to improve the quality of urban education.

"Sedgwick is proud to partner with the University of Memphis to implement the vision of President Rudd to utilize the resources of the University to impact the quality of education throughout the Memphis area," said Dave North, Sedgwick president and CEO. "The River City Partnership will equip teachers with new skills that better prepare them to tackle the challenges facing our schools and enable them to be more effective. It also serves to better position them for noble and rewarding careers in urban schools teaching diverse youth."

The partnership places a unique emphasis on recruiting and training local teacher candidates, with a special focus on identifying educators from underrepresented groups, including African-American males and Latinos. It addresses the entire teacher pipeline, from introducing high school students to teaching as a career, to preparing UofM undergraduate and graduate students, to induction as a Shelby County Schools teacher to retention strategies for new and existing SCS teachers.

"We are extremely grateful for the generous support of Sedgwick and Dave North for the River City Partnership," said UofM President M. David Rudd. "The University of Memphis recognizes the challenges facing the Shelby County region can be addressed through a stronger education system – and that must be cultivated from the ground up. By collaborating with Shelby County Schools, we can work together to better train and prepare future educators who are eager to continue to invest in the Memphis community and teach the next generation of students."

The UofM curricula for both undergraduate and graduate students have been revamped to prepare teachers to teach not only in an urban setting, but specifically in the Shelby County Schools system. Cultural competence is an integral foundation of the curriculum as well as a key factor in the student admission process, which uses a screening system to predict successful long-term retention.

The River City Partnership encourages teacher candidates to intentionally select the urban education pathway, creating a deep partnership with local schools and implementing high school teacher cadet programs while building an early interest in teaching as a career.

CONTACT

Chuck Gallina | 901.678.1756 l cgallina@memphis.edu