Future teachers can earn scholarships, get help finding money for college, and benefit from mentoring and academic support through Everett Community College's new Teacher Education Advancement program.

The program also provides career counseling, academic advising, seminars and support for low-income students who are preparing for careers in education at EvCC.

TEA's goal is to increase the number of teachers of color in local K-12 schools by supporting future education students, explained EvCC's TEA director Veronica Garaycoa.

"Our state needs more diverse teachers," she said. "Forty percent of students in schools statewide are students of color, yet only 8 percent of teachers are people of color."

The low percentage demonstrates a tremendous need to recruit students of color into the teaching profession to meet the needs of the state's increasingly diverse K-12 student population, Garaycoa said.

Participants must have a high school degree or GED, be committed to teaching and working with youth in a culturally and ethnically diverse setting, meet academic criteria, demonstrate financial need and complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and be enrolled or plan to enroll as a full-time student.

For more information or to apply, contact Garaycoa at 425-388-9040 or visit EvCC's Parks Student Union Building, Room 312. TEA's Web site is www.everettcc.edu/tea.