LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is looking to create an online teacher academy program with the help of a new federal grant.

UA Little Rock announced on Wednesday that it had received a $ 175,000 grant from the Arkansas Department of Education for the 2021-2022 Online Teachers Academy Approval Program, providing training for Kindergarten to Grade 12 teachers in Arkansas.

Daryl Tate, assistant professor in the School of Education and coordinator of the Learning System Technology Education program, will be the director of the academy.

“21st century educators need to have certain skills to be effective in their courses, whether they are teaching hybrid courses, fully online or face-to-face,” Tate said. “This grant from the Arkansas Department of Education will help us prepare K-12 teachers to deliver quality online learning to their students.”

According to UA Little Rock, teachers can earn a graduate certificate by taking an additional course.

Teachers can also earn a master’s degree with the completion of six courses after the graduate certificate, according to UA Little Rock.

For more information about the program, visit the Learning Systems Technology Education program website at UALR.edu.