Teacher apprenticeship program to benefit education majors
Erskine College is pleased to collaborate with Teach Right USA (TRUSA) and the Charter Institute at Erskine to launch a new teacher apprenticeship program, scheduled to begin in Fall 2024. The program offers clear advantages for ambitious education students, including opportunities for on-the-job experience and mentoring from seasoned teachers.
Program participants will take an accelerated course load in the first years of their studies at Erskine. Through TRUSA’s Bachelor’s Apprenticeship Program, students will then be placed as teachers in Charter Institute classrooms, where they will earn a paycheck and gain experience while completing their final years of the bachelor’s degree.
Associate Professor of Education Dr. Sarah Little, chair of Erskine’s education department, is excited to team up with the Charter Institute and TRUSA.
“Our collaboration will afford students the opportunity to gain instruction in teacher content knowledge and pedagogy early in their education. They will enter the classroom to begin teaching before graduating, creating a true ‘apprenticeship’ experience,” she says.
TRUSA developed the Bachelor’s Apprenticeship Program in response to national and local teacher shortages. The program is designed to provide teachers for charter schools and equip students for their calling as educators.
“This first-of-its-kind model is exciting to be a part of, and a step in the right direction in addressing teacher shortages,” says Little.
Prospective students interested in the new program may contact Dr. Sarah Little at sarah.little@erskine.edu.
Officials and personnel from Erskine College, the Charter Institute at Erskine, and Teach Right USA shown in top row above include Charter Institute Superintendent and CEO Cameron Runyan (second from left), Erskine Associate Professor of Education Dr. Sarah Little (third from right), and Erskine President Dr. Steve Adamson (second from right).
