Inspired to Teach event invites future educators to explore teaching careers

Ohio University Southern will host Inspired to Teach: Empowering the Next Generation of Teachers on March 27, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The free event is designed as a recruiting and exploration day for high school students, current OHIO students, those considering transferring to OHIO, and adults interested in a career change.

The event will introduce participants to the education program and highlight multiple pathways into teaching, including dual enrollment options such as Education Pathways and College Credit Plus. Faculty, staff and alumni will share information about admissions, financial aid and academic supports, as well as the advantages of earning an OHIO degree while remaining in the region.

“Inspired to Teach is a recruiting tool we are using in the spring to inspire students who are considering the field of education to make Ohio University their learning institution,” said Assistant Professor Martha Evans. “We welcome high school students, transfer students and their parents as partners in this decision.”

Many OHIO Southern students already come from local school districts and want to stay in the tri-state region after graduation, said Assistant Professor Melody Craft.

“We really want to strengthen the pipeline for future educators in our area,” she said. “Even though there is a teacher shortage, we can create a sustainable population of future teachers by helping students see themselves here and understand the pathway to the classroom.”

A key feature of the OHIO Southern education program is its clinical model, which places students in local classrooms as early as the first semester of their sophomore year. Students spend their first year completing general education requirements, including credits often earned through College Credit Plus, then apply for teacher candidacy and begin clinical experiences in partner schools. This model helps future educators connect theory to practice and decide whether teaching is the right fit while still making steady progress toward a degree.

Craft works with districts across the region to vary clinical placements and connect education majors with highly effective mentor teachers.

“This is their chance to connect what they’re learning in class to what happens every day in schools,” she said. “By the time they graduate, we want them to have a strong foundation in what teaching looks like at different grade levels and in different school cultures.”

Inspired to Teach will feature alumni and regional educators who will share their experiences in the classroom and in school leadership. Planned speakers include Brea Kitts, a nationally recognized Ohio educator; Jessie Rigsby, an OHIO Southern graduate and fifth grade ELA teacher at Summit Elementary School; and Lawrence County Educational Service Center Superintendent Eric Floyd, an OHIO Southern alumnus who also sent two of his children to Ohio University. Their perspectives will highlight multiple paths within education for prospective students and families.

Throughout the day, students will participate in interactive, classroom-style sessions, hear from practicing teachers and administrators, and meet current education majors who can speak to campus life and academic expectations. Parents, school counselors and College Credit Plus instructors are also encouraged to attend to learn more about costs, scholarships, student services and the supports available to help future teachers succeed. Resource tables will provide information on financial aid, advising and student success services.

Evans hopes that students leave campus energized about their future.

“I hope they are excited about becoming part of the Bobcat family and that this feels like home,” she said. “We want them to find people who are inviting and welcoming, and to believe they have a place here as they prepare to lead classrooms of their own.”

Inspired to Teach is open to high school students in grades nine through 12, current OHIO students who are undecided or interested in changing their major to education, transfer students, adults interested in changing career paths, parents and guardians, school counselors and other school partners.