SIU Student Center

Over 400 Students to Attend SIU Future Teachers Day

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More than 400 high school students are scheduled to visit Southern Illinois University Carbondale on Friday, Nov. 13, for the SIU Future Teachers Day, news.siu.edu reported.

The interactive event, held at the SIU Student Center, serves as a strategic component of the university’s efforts to address the ongoing teacher shortage. Formerly known as SIU Education Day, the program is designed to engage area high school students through hands-on educational sessions.

Participants will have the opportunity to select three sessions from over 40 different offerings. These workshops aim to provide practical insights into various aspects of the profession, featuring titles such as “Occupational Therapy in the Classroom,” “Remembering the Power of Play,” and “Camp in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Toolkit for Outdoor Learning.”

The event is a collaborative effort sponsored by the SIU School of Education, the Southern Illinois Future Teachers Coalition (SIFTC), and Educators Rising Illinois. These organizations work together to create a pathway for students interested in pursuing careers in education.

SIFTC operates as a grant-funded partnership that includes SIU, the Illinois State Board of Education, John A. Logan College, Shawnee Community College, and 20 high schools throughout the Southern Illinois region. The coalition is specifically instrumental in establishing and supporting Future Educators clubs within participating high schools.

Complementing this regional effort, Educators Rising Illinois functions as part of the Illinois Education Association (IEA) Educator Pipeline. This initiative is designed to support the professional growth of educators starting from their time in high school through their first decade in the classroom.

Students from a wide array of local districts have registered to attend the event. The participating high schools include:

Future teacher illustration teachers school
  • Anna-Jonesboro
  • Carbondale
  • Carrier Mills-Stonefort
  • Carterville
  • Cobden
  • Crab Orchard
  • Du Quoin
  • Elverado
  • Gallatin County
  • Goreville
  • Hardin County
  • Harrisburg
  • Herrin
  • Johnston City
  • Joppa
  • Marion
  • Okawville
  • Pinckneyville
  • Pope County
  • Shawnee
  • Trico
  • Vienna
  • West Frankfort

The day begins with a 9 a.m. welcome and a keynote address from Francis Kozub, the associate dean of the SIU School of Education. A central highlight of the schedule is the midday resource fair, which will take place in the International Lounge on the second floor of the Student Center from 10:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

During this hour, more than 30 SIU departments, units, and education-focused organizations will host an open-house style session to share information with students. The full program is expected to wrap up by 1:30 p.m. on Friday.

For those seeking further information regarding the event or related story opportunities, Maeve Kirk, the interim director of the Executive Ed.D in Higher Education program, can be reached at [email protected] or 618-453-6352.

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