Waubonsee Community College has received a $14,000 state grant from Scaling Education Pathways in Illinois (SEPI). SEPI is a major state-wide initiative to address the critical shortage of education professionals in the state. That grant, plus a new scholarship offered by the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley (CFFRV), will go a long way in producing future teachers for the Aurora area.
An Illinois State Board of Education report on teacher supply and demand found that while 99 percent of teaching positions were filled in 2020, the highest vacancies remain for bilingual, ESL, and special education positions. SEPI allows participating institutions flexibility to determine what kind of partnerships will be needed at the post-secondary and secondary education levels to best serve and attract students interested in entering the pathway across the state.
At Waubonsee, SEPI provides an education pathway for anyone who desires to make their dream of a career in education come true. The college has partnered with Northern Illinois University (NIU), East Aurora High School, and West Aurora High School to offer a streamlined college credit pathway, allowing students to enter at the beginning of their junior or senior year of high school or their first year of college at Waubonsee and complete with a teaching license. High school students can take a dual-credit at East Aurora High School or West Aurora High School while finishing their high school coursework.
Another goal of the grant is to attract minority students to consider a career in the teaching profession and return to the communities they grew up in, serving as role models and mentors. Students from either high school that wish to enroll in Waubonsee’s Education Program will be eligible to apply for the Education Pathways Scholarship available through the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley (CFFRV), which also serves as a valuable partner in this initiative. Students in the program earn their associate degree from Waubonsee, then transition into a licensing program at NIU and earn their bachelor's degree.
"Rather than turn students loose in a curricular area and hope they enjoy it is to connect the dots, so students realize that it is a worthwhile, rewarding occupation," said former educator Bob Cofield, now Waubonsee’s Director of School District Partnerships.
In both scenarios, high school and college students will access support systems to gain valuable educational experiences. Students will also be paired with mentors who will connect them to post-secondary schools for employment opportunities after graduation. High school students have an opportunity to earn an Education Pathway endorsement on their diploma upon graduation.
"We're aware that a high percentage of education professionals are white and female, which doesn’t fully mirror the population of students they are serving. So, if we are trying to build more diverse representation in teachers across our community, we need to create opportunities for students to connect with people who are more representative of their cultural background and experiences," says Cofield.
SEPI is unique in that it offers participants a real-life view of the possibilities of the teaching profession. Students are matched with mentors, experience field trips, and have the opportunity to do clinical observation classes in their local high schools.
"If we understand that as a community college, we can assist students through this curriculum pathway, support and foster that interest as a career field, help them become a licensed teacher, and then circle them back in these communities as teaching professionals, I can't think of a more valuable impact on a community," said Cofield.
To learn more and apply for the Education Pathways Scholarship, visit the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley at cffrv.org or call (630) 896-7800.
