(Santa Ana, Calif.) The Santa Ana College (SAC) Child Development and Education Studies Department is currently recruiting for its 2019 Future Elementary Teacher Cohort.
“The purpose of establishing a cohort for future elementary teachers is to provide students with a structured pathway that includes a series of courses and committed instructors who will help guide student learning, foster meaningful relationships and serve as academic mentors,” said Child Development and Education Studies Department Co-Chair Dr. Mary Funaoka.
Students participating will be identified as future elementary teachers and take coursework to earn their Associates Degree for Transfer in Elementary Education. The cohort model will enable students to stay on their designated path through support from their peers, instructors and counselors and allow them to receive additional professional opportunities that will include conferences, workshops and field experience.
In addition to stating teaching as their major, students must enroll in two designated courses each semester, join the SAC teacher pathway partnership (TPP), attend a summer meet and greet with their cohort and instructors, and meet with a counselor each semester. Their commitment to the program will allow them to be part of a learning group for two years; receive paid and unpaid internship opportunities; network with other future educators; receive textbook and transportation assistance; attend a summer science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) academy at California State University, Fullerton; and receive counseling, academic placement and transfer support.
The program’s short-term goals, said Funaoka, are to provide courses and resources available for students to receive entry-level employment in a K-12 setting, degree completion and transfer to a four-year college or university. The long-term goals, she said, are for students to complete a bachelor’s degree, state teaching credential and obtain a position as an elementary school teacher.
The first course begins this summer. The cohort will accept up to 20 students currently pursuing a career as elementary school teachers. This program is intended to run parallel with the SAC Guided Pathways model, which provides a supportive college environment allowing students to confidently and successfully achieve their academic goals, and new student-centered funding formula, which rewards equity and student success. For additional information visit, www.sac.edu/cdes or sign up by emailing funaoka_mary@sac.edu.
About Santa Ana College
Santa Ana College (SAC), which turned 100 years old in 2015, serves about 18,000 students each semester at its main campus in Santa Ana. The college prepares students for transfer to four-year institutions, and provides invaluable workforce training and customized training for business and industry. In addition, another 11,000 students are served through the college’s School of Continuing Education located at Centennial Education Center. Ranked as one of the nation’s top two-year colleges awarding associate degrees to Latino and Asian students, the college is also recognized throughout the state for its comprehensive workforce training programs for nurses, firefighters, law enforcement and other medical personnel. SAC is one of two comprehensive colleges under the auspices of the Rancho Santiago Community College District.
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