Since the 1970's the percentage of minority teacher in America's classrooms has steadily declined. Today, approximately seven percent of our nation's teachers are African-American and about two percent are Hispanic. At the same time, the number and percentage of minority students in those same classrooms has steadily increased.
Similar trends are evident in Ohio.
A concerted effort to attract minority students into the teaching profession is vitally important. While the goal of CAPE is to identify and attract young talented people from diverse backgrounds to a career in teaching, emphasis is on increasing the minority representation in teaching. In 1990, a group of concerned Ohio educators initiated discussions about establishing a pre-collegiate minority teacher recruitment program in Ohio. CAPE is a four-day summer camp experience designed to introduce Ohio high school students to teaching and professional education as career possibilities. The camp provides an opportunity for 100 high school students from diverse backgrounds who are interested in the education process to experience a university environment, to develop leadership skills and positive self-images, to explore a career in education, and to interact with peers and professional role models from diverse backgrounds.