CREATE | Centers and Institutions

Miami University is proud to launch the CREATE Center (Center for Recruitment, Engagement, and Advancement of Transformative Educators), a cross-college hub led by the College of Education, Health, and Society (EHS), in collaboration with the College of Arts and Science (CAS), the College of Creative Arts (CCA), the College of Engineering and Computing (CEC), and the College of Liberal Arts and Applied Sciences (CLAAS).

CREATE brings together Miami’s signature educator preparation, teacher professional development, and community engagement efforts across the university. This includes programs such as TEACh Cincinnati, the Urban Cohort, Teacher Academy Partnerships, the 1+3 Teacher Pathway, the Ohio Writing Project, Educational Leadership, Project Dragonfly, and STEM education outreach and support initiatives, as well as the Miami Center for Community Engagement in Over-the-Rhine and the art education collaboration with the Myaamia Center through the Myaamia Arts and Culture Education Partnership (MACEP). Together, this constellation of educational programming reflects the ideal of doing it better together through partnership across colleges to support schools, teachers, their students, and community-based efforts that further build educator capacity.

At its core, CREATE is less a static initiative and more a dynamic platform that coordinates resources, connects faculty across disciplines, and provides a shared structure for pursuing external funding. By breaking down silos, the center enables project teams that integrate critical pedagogy, arts integration, practice-based teacher preparation, and community partnerships. In doing so, CREATE emphasizes deep collaboration with community partners and community-based organizations, ensuring that the work is grounded in reciprocity and shared goals.

This approach equips future teachers with strong content knowledge as well as the civic, cultural, and leadership skills needed to address structural inequities and create meaningful change alongside schools and communities. Through CREATE, Miami is amplifying the reach of its existing programs while opening new pathways for innovation, collaboration, and long-term impact in educator preparation.

Departments across Miami University — such as the Department of Teaching, Curriculum, and Educational Inquiry; the Department of Educational Psychology; the Department of Educational Leadership; and key partners in the Department of Art, Department of Music, Department of English, Department of Mathematics, Department of Biology, and Department of Education and Society — have come together in a shared commitment to developing transformative educators. Through award-winning programs rooted in collaboration, innovation, and equity, these departments not only prepare and induct future teachers into the profession but also ensure they are supported well into their early careers.

By aligning strong disciplinary preparation with research-based teaching practices and ongoing professional development, these programs empower educators to thrive in today’s classrooms and schools. This integrated approach reflects Miami’s deep investment in teacher success, recognizing that when educators are supported, their students succeed, and entire communities are strengthened.

Better Together: Partnering with the Community

Center for Recruitment, Engagement, and Advancement of Transformative Educators (CREATE) thrives through collaboration with organizations and school districts across the community that are deeply committed to improving education and expanding opportunity. Our work is guided by the belief that we do better together by learning from and with those who have the most at stake in their neighborhoods and schools.

While CREATE itself does not hold formal partnerships, many of the colleges, programs, and units within the CREATE collective actively collaborate with schools and communities across Ohio. The College of Education, Health, and Society (EHS) partners with school districts throughout the state, especially in southwest Ohio, to give Miami students meaningful hands-on learning experiences.

Some of these collaborations go even deeper. The Greater Oxford Educational Collaborative brings together Miami University, Talawanda School District, and the City of Oxford to identify community challenges and develop shared solutions. The Miami Hamilton City School District All-Hands group also works to align resources and create new opportunities for all students, building stronger connections between the university and local schools.

Programs like the Urban Cohort engage closely with community-based organizations to connect learning with local contexts. Through experiences such as Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR), community immersion in Cincinnati neighborhoods, and the Cleveland Winter Immersion Program, Urban Cohort participants from majors across the university learn directly from communities and develop a deeper understanding of the contextual factors affecting urban communities.

The Myaamia Arts and Culture Education Partnership (MACEP) prepares preservice art educators attending Miami University to learn about and teach cultures beyond their own. Working with staff from the Myaamia Center, these educators develop lessons about the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, Myaamia culture, and art activities inspired by Myaamia art—grounded in shared values of community, reciprocity, and cultural appreciation.

Through a partnership with Cincinnati Public Schools, Miami’s TEACh Cincinnati has partnered with St. Francis Seraph Parish to create below-market housing for Miami teacher education graduates to live in the communities where they teach. The university also maintains a formal partnership with The Literacy Lab to cultivate the next generation of educators with experience in early literacy.

In addition, Miami has partnered with the Queen City Book Bank and the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center to highlight these organizations’ impactful work supporting educators and to introduce students to these valuable community resources for teachers in the region.

CREATE Executive Committee

Kara Conniff, Office of Field Experiences and Student Teaching
Stephanie Danker, Department of Art
Prince Johnson II, TEACh Cincinnati
Lexie Persinger, Teach Academy Partnerships
Beth Rimer, Ohio Writing Project, Department of English
Molly Sawyer, Office of Field Experiences and Student Teaching
Sydnie Singleton, TEACh Cincinnati
Brian Schultz, College of Education, Health, and Society
Tammy Schwartz, Urban Cohort
Karen Zaino, Department of Teaching, Curriculum, and Educational Inquiry

Culturally Sustaining Teaching, Identity, and Youth Voice

This research centers young people—their identities, languages, cultures, and ways of knowing. Faculty investigate how schools can honor authentic adolescent voice through meaningful texts, youth-centered pedagogy, multimodal expression, and culturally sustaining practices. These studies highlight how relationships, representation, and identity-aware teaching strengthen belonging and create affirming learning spaces for all students.

Read Culturally Sustaining Teaching, Identity, and Youth Voice articles

Literacy Innovation, Multimodality, and Digital Composition

From digital storytelling to drama-based revision, our faculty examine how multimodal and technology-rich practices expand what literacy can be. This research shows how students make meaning through movement, art, sound, games, and interactive media—and how these modes deepen writing, revision, and engagement. We design and study innovative approaches that help teachers integrate contemporary literacies into dynamic classroom practice.

Read Literacy Innovation, Multimodality, and Digital Composition articles

School Safety, Policy, and Institutional Change

Faculty examine how policies and institutional decisions influence safety, equity, and well-being in schools. This research addresses issues such as human trafficking awareness, firearm policies, and systems-level factors that shape educators’ decision-making. Through evidence-based analysis, our work identifies approaches that genuinely support safe, healthy, and inclusive learning environments.

Read School Safety, Policy, and Institutional Change articles

Social Justice, Equity, and Transformative Pedagogy

Our faculty lead national conversations on how classrooms can become spaces for justice, inquiry, and democratic learning. This research explores how teachers navigate restrictive policies, reimagine curriculum, and cultivate equitable learning environments where students question power, build agency, and engage deeply with the world. Through frameworks such as critical literacy, culturally relevant pedagogy, and democratic education, our work supports educators committed to transformative change.

Read Social Justice, Equity, and Transformative Pedagogy articles

Social Studies Education, Citizenship, and Democratic Learning

Our work in social studies education focuses on preparing young people to think critically, deliberate respectfully, and participate in democracy. Research in this area explores citizenship, historical thinking, controversial issues, global perspectives, human rights, and the role of race in shaping civic life. Faculty develop frameworks that help teachers move beyond memorization toward inquiry, justice, and civic responsibility.

Read Social Studies Education, Citizenship, and Democratic Learning articles

Teacher Pipeline, Diversification, Mentoring, and Workforce Development

We build and study pathways that diversify and sustain the educator workforce. Our collaborative research examines Grow-Your-Own programs, mentoring networks, cross-institutional partnerships, and policies that support future teachers—especially BIPOC candidates. By understanding barriers and designing supports, this work helps communities recruit, prepare, and retain excellent teachers who reflect the students they serve.

Read Teacher Pipeline, Diversification, Mentoring, and Workforce Development articles

Urban Education, Community Partnerships, and Mental Health

Our scholars work alongside urban schools and community organizations to understand the strengths, challenges, and lived realities shaping students’ educational experiences. This research highlights relationship-based teaching, trauma-informed practice, school mental health, and community-guided preparation for teachers entering urban settings. We examine how supportive ecosystems promote well-being for both students and educators.

Read Urban Education, Community Partnerships, and Mental Health articles

Contact CREATE

College of Education, Health, and Society

Email: ehs@MiamiOH.edu
Phone: 513-529-6317
210 E. Spring St.
Oxford, OH 45056

Brian D. Schultz, Ph.D., Professor and Associate Dean of Partnerships and External Relations

Email: brian.schultz@MiamiOH.edu
Phone: 513-529-6317
210 E. Spring Street
Oxford, OH 45056

Center for the Recruitment, Engagement, and Advancement of Transformative Educators