FIERCE BCEP Program

Supporting Future Educators

Fueling the Inland Empire Region with Community Educators (FIERCE) was created to prepare and equip undergraduate students to be community-ready and equity centered to contribute to the workforce needs of the IE. The SOE is dedicated to building an education workforce to serve historically underrepresented communities in the Inland Empire (IE) area of Southern California. The IE community is over 50% people of color, with a significant Latina/o/x, Black, Asian/Asian American, and Indigenous population groups. Our goal is to prepare and equip undergraduate students to be community-ready and equity centered after graduation to contribute to the workforce needs of the IE.

Black Community Education Promise (BCEP) Scholars Program is designed to support incoming SOE undergraduate majors who are dedicated to serving the Black community via education upon graduation from UCR. The goal is to provide BCEP Scholars with financial and mentoring support from their first year, or transfer year, all the way through their master’s program in education at UCR. BCEP Scholars will be committed to serving communities across the Inland Empire and/or California.

Become a FIERCE/BCEP Scholar or Fellow

Advantages of becoming a FIERCE/BCEP Fellow
- $3,000 scholarship for each year you are a fellow
- Possible job opportunities with partner districts
- Ongoing mentorship from SOE faculty
- Invitations to SOE speaker series
- Networking opportunities with faculty, staff, and students committed to educational improvement
- Name of cohort members to remain on SOE FIERCE/BCEP Scholars page
- Fellows will attend quarterly cohort meetings and receive professional development, mentorship
Advantages of becoming a FIERCE/BCEP Scholar
- Ongoing mentorship from SOE faculty
- Possible job opportunities with partner districts
- Invitations to SOE speaker series
- Networking opportunities with faculty, staff, and students committed to educational improvement
- Name of cohort members to remain on SOE FIERCE/BCEP Scholars page
- Scholars will attend quarterly cohort meetings and receive professional development, mentorship
Eligibility and Application Requirements
- School of Education students
- Desire to serve the IE as an equity-focused educator
- Desire to serve the Black community via education and support the development and success of Black students
- 3.0 GPA minimum with current unofficial transcripts
- Two academic references or one academic reference and one non-academic reference (i.e., employer, volunteer organization)
- Priority is given to applicants who attended an Inland Empire high school with a student population that is at least 50% Low SES and/or Title I status
- Priority is given to first-generation college students and/or applicants who are bilingual or come from a home language in Spanish, Black or African American Language, Mandarin, etc