Mary Jane Patterson Teachers for Urban Schools Scholarship

The Mary Jane Patterson Teachers for Urban Schools Scholarship ("Patterson Scholars")

In 1862, Mary Jane Patterson (1840 – 1894) was the first African American woman to earn a bachelor’s degree from an established four-year college in the United States. A daughter of fugitive slaves, Patterson became a teacher at the age of 22 in Philadelphia at the Institute for Colored Youth. By age 31, she had become principal at the nation’s first public high school for Black students, Preparatory High School for Colored Youth, located in Washington D.C. Throughout her career, Mary Jane Patterson exemplified excellence, leadership, and a commitment to high quality education in the historical context of a segregated society.

The Mary Jane Patterson Scholarship was established in 2019 as part of the Teachers for Urban Schools Project for students enrolled in a teacher education program at CSULB who are interested in teaching in urban classrooms and working with Black students who have so much to offer, but who continue to face anti-Black practices and institutional racism.  If you desire to be a teacher and serve as a role model for Black youth AND you are a CSULB undergraduate/transfer with 60+ units OR if you already hold a bachelor's degree, you can apply!

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2024-25 MJP Flyer

Apply now for Fall 2024
Deadline: June 10, 2024 at 5:00pm
Click here to start your application

To learn more about the Mary Jane Patterson scholarship and to meet current students, register to attend one of our virtual information sessions:

Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 9:30am Link to Register

Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 6:30pm Link to Register

Please contact the Teacher Preparation Advising Center, at ced-tpac@csulb.edu / (562) 985-1105 for more information.