WATERVILLE, MAINE, September 2024 — Thomas College was recently awarded a $25,000 grant from the Davis Family Foundation to improve teacher education for middle-level students in Maine through curriculum development, field experiences, and professional development opportunities.
“We are fortunate that the Davis Family Foundation has generously funded our plans to provide a robust learning experience for our preservice teachers in the Lunder School of Education; this helps them be prepared to serve the youth of Maine—particularly at 5-8th grade level—by engaging in learning experiences they otherwise may not have been able to access,” said Chair of the Lunder School of Education Dr. Katie Rybakova. “We believe that the best learning experiences for our preservice teachers are outside of the four classroom walls and include networking opportunities like those they can get from attending MAMLE and other conferences and workshops.”
Thomas College is currently the only college in Maine with a certification track focused on the needs of middle-level students.
“Middle-level students have unique classroom needs. This support from the Davis Family Foundation helps Thomas prepare preservice teachers to meet those needs and to have an impact on Maine schools and Maine communities,” said Thomas College Provost Thomas Edwards.
This grant provides support for Thomas pre-service teachers to engage directly with the communities they will serve, and to participate in professional development experiences, conferences and workshops as part of their professional training to complement their in-course work at Thomas.
Through this grant, pre-service teachers will be sponsored to attend the annual conference of MAMLE, the Maine Association of Middle Level Educators, in October of 2024. This conference will link Thomas pre-service teachers with practicing teachers in the field focused on strategies and professional connections in the profession.
Thomas College will also host a Future Teachers Academy in the spring of 2025 to connect high school students considering the teaching profession with faculty on campus.
Thomas College offers certifications ranging from early childhood education to secondary education as well as at the graduate level.
For more information about Thomas College’s Lunder School of Education, visit thomas.edu/academics/school-of-education.
About Thomas College:
U.S. News and World Report consistently ranks Thomas College as a top college in Maine for social mobility. Our clear career focus and one-of-a-kind Guaranteed Job Program™ makes it possible to advance faster in the arts and sciences, business, and education. Earn an undergraduate degree in three years and then choose from a variety of in-person or online graduate degree programs that can be completed in one-year or two. Located in Waterville, Maine, Thomas College is your pathway to a promising future, guaranteed. For more information visit thomas.edu or contact MacKenzie Riley Young at [email protected] or 207-859-1313. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and TikTok.