The Patton College of Education’s Creative, Active, and Reflective Educators (CARE) program will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its partnership with Federal Hocking Local School District on June 14-15, 2019, at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Current and former CARE teacher candidates, mentor teachers, faculty, principals, and superintendents are invited to attend.
“The reunion will recognize and celebrate the strong history of reflective and democratic teaching principles that CARE participants acquired – and use – as teachers and administrators in school districts, as well as faculty in teacher preparation programs around the country,” said Marcy Keifer Kennedy, director for the Ohio University Center for Clinical Practice in Education. “The goal of the event is to strengthen the network of democratic educators through the sharing of experiences since leaving the program.
The event will begin on Friday, June 14, with an evening welcome reception and a tour of The Patton College’s recently renovated building, McCracken Hall. Saturday, June 15, will be a day for networking, presentations, and talks led by former CARE participants, and will culminate in a dinner celebration.
CARE, which began as Teacher Education for Civic Responsibility (TECR), is a partnership for Middle Childhood, Adolescent-to-Young Adult, and Multi-Age majors. Beginning in the fall of their sophomore year, students travel together as a cohort through the CARE course of study, working immediately and continuously in Partnership schools. CARE was founded on the principles of Democratic Education, as proposed by John Dewey, and many local school districts, including Federal Hocking, have benefited.
“One of the highlights of my career has been working with some of the best young professionals to enter our field over the last 30 years,” said Federal Hocking Superintendent Dr. George Wood, who helped create CARE. “I cannot wait to catch up with them and hear about the impact they are having around the country.”
CARE provides opportunities to learn how theory and practice are intertwined through the application of theoretical concepts in real-time practice. Teacher candidates explore the nature of the child as a learner and discover how social, emotional, and economic factors impact teaching and learning.
CARE has won numerous awards, including the National Association of Professional Development Schools (NAPDS) Award for Exemplary Professional Development School Achievement and the National Network for Educational Renewal (NNER) Richard W. Clark Award for Exemplary Partner School Work.
“I am truly proud of all of our current and former CARE and TECR participants,” said Patton College Dean Renée A. Middleton. “Our teacher candidates, professional interns, and faculty have worked tirelessly with devoted teachers, principals, and superintendents to improve K-12 education and make the world a better place.”
Pre-registration for the event is available here. Final registration will include a small fee to help cover costs of the event. More event details will be released via Facebook in the coming months.
Please contact Administrative Specialist Grace Kroeger (kroeger@ohio.edu) with questions.