The Nevada Institute on Educator Preparation, Retention, and Research (NIEPRR) is a grant-funded program designed to prepare you, as a NIEPRR fellow, for success in a variety of educational settings, with a focus on the educational needs within our Nevada communities. Our goal is to provide each NIEPRR fellow with new and innovative experiences around education research, training, and preparation that go above and beyond what you receive in your pre-service coursework and practicum. As a result, you should be equipped to be a skilled practitioner and leader in K-12 education in Nevada.
Innovative Cross-Institution Collaboration
Underscoring a deep commitment of partnership on behalf of all Nevadans, NIEPRR facilitates a first-of-its-kind cross-institutional collaboration among the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), Nevada State College (NSC), and the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). This collaboration offers unprecedented opportunities for program students and faculty to work together in community to serve the communities across Nevada in which we all live and work.
Mission
Intentional recruitment, meaningful engagement, and long-term retention of Nevada educators through community-focused and research-informed approaches to education.
Vision
For all Nevada educators to be community-focused, research-informed, and equipped with the knowledge and skills to effectively teach all Nevada students.
NIEPRR Program Components
Each NIEPRR fellow receives approximately 60 hours of enhanced learning opportunities each academic year to support your knowledge and skill development as an emerging educational leader. The NIEPRR program takes a multifocal approach, providing enhanced preparation of pre-service teachers through programming, community engagement, participation in research, and knowledge dissemination.
Educational Engagement Pathways (EEPs)
To extend programming Fellows are concurrently receiving in traditional teacher preparation programs, NIEPRR faculty and staff have cultivated experiences designed to engage Fellows in developing agency and advocacy in education. Fellows engage with critical topics in meaningful ways and work directly to serve marginalized populations to build their ability and sense of self as educators while engaging in next practice approaches that move Nevada forward.
Community Engagement Pathways (CEPs)
Underscoring the importance of preparing educators to engage in their local communities in meaningful ways, Fellows engage in service learning with community partners centered in a “with” not “for” mindset. Fellows connect with students and families in the community in consequential ways by sharing their interests and experience, learning the backgrounds of the children and families they serve, and honing their craft as effective and engaged educators.
Educators LEAD Professional Development
Offered twice per semester, Fellows and other in-service educators are invited to engage with education researchers, thought leaders, and activists to build and strengthen their framework as educators. Through small breakout groups and larger keynote addresses, pre-service and practicing educators are given a platform to have powerful discussions that impact their teaching practice and broaden their perspective in the pursuit of students’ educational and personal growth.
Microcredentials
Offered in partnership with local education organizations and NDE grant-funded projects, NIEPRR expands current microcredentialing opportunities to support educators in Title I settings across Nevada. These courses provide educators with evidence-based information and strategies that help them be successful and impactful in their classrooms and in the lives of the children and families they serve.
Fellowships
NIEPRR supports pre-service and in-service educators who are committed to understanding and better meeting the unique needs of Nevada’s educational system — educators dedicated to moving Nevada forward through culturally responsive educational practice and a next practices mindset. NIEPRR provides Fellows with mentoring and support as well as financial contributions toward educational expenses.
Research
Underscoring our institutions’ commitments to contributing meaningful scholarship to the fields of teacher preparation and retention, NIEPRR provides a significant amount of funding for research mini grants. Funded projects undertake meaningful collaboration with community organizations in order to enhance equity, inclusion, and engagement of historically resilient but marginalized groups.
