MATCH Program Trains Minority Teachers

Eighteen interns received certificates at the MATCH program's 15th anniversary dinner August 30th. Pictured from left are Mark Henderson, intern; Beverly Shue, Summer Institute instructor; and Barbara Ching, Project MATCH coordinator.

When looking back on their lives, most of America’s most successful people point to one caring teacher who somehow kicked their personal performance into gear.

Mark Henderson and 17 of his colleagues desire to be those teachers. They have completed the Project MATCH (Mentors Act to Change History) Internship Program at the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD), which celebrated its 15th anniversary dinner Wednesday, August 30th at the District office, 770 Wilshire Blvd., downtown Los Angeles.

“African Americans need to see more African American males in front of the classroom,” Henderson said. “Maybe they’ll gain interest in staying in school if they see me, because I’m coming from the community and I can relate to the average person going to community college.”

During the last 15 years, MATCH has placed more than 200 new teachers in the classroom. These adults have been successful in their chosen professions and have never taught in a classroom before, but now desire to give back to their communities.

Henderson, a Gardena resident and former Los Angeles Southwest College student, will begin teaching with a mentor September 5 as classes open at his alma mater.

The MATCH program is a cooperative venture between the LACCD office of Diversity Programs and the District Academic Senate. It has four goals:

To promote quality instruction and diversity in teaching within the LACCD
To better prepare faculty and employees to fit the needs of the diverse student population
To encourage all employees to embrace and support campus/district diversity
To present interns as role models for the college students

The 2006 class of 18 interns has completed an intense, five-night summer institute to learn techniques in teaching and classroom management at the community college level.

When school begins next week, the interns will be mentored by professors from their disciplines at the district’s nine campuses, providing them with the opportunity to gain hands-on teaching experience.

“All the Project MATCH interns will practice teaching techniques that are appropriate for community college students,” Gene Little, LACCD Director, Office of Diversity Programs said.

Another one of the important Project MATCH lessons reviewed how to motivate adult learners and deal with the challenges of teaching a diverse range of learners – ranging in age from 18 through 80.

“To get a common ground, a common mind set for everyone on why you’re there -- it has been good to learn those techniques,” Henderson said. “I’ll be on the track to becoming an instructor full time and then a college administrator. To really make an influence in the community you have to be in that kind of a role,” he said.

For more information on Project MATCH, which accepts applications each spring, call 213.891.2315, or visit www.laccd.edu to view “Jobs with the District” and “Faculty Internships-Project MATCH.”

The Los Angeles Community College District includes Los Angeles City College; East Los Angeles College; Los Angeles Harbor College; Los Angeles Mission College; Pierce College; Los Angeles Southwest College; Los Angeles Trade-Technical College; Los Angeles Valley College; and West Los Angeles College. These campuses provide more than 2900 different courses serving more than 120,000 vocational education and transfer students.

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