James Cohen remembers well the closing moments of the first Social Justice Summer Camp for Educators in 2017. The plan for the future, as announced by Cohen and his fellow camp counselors from the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, was to host
Read moreElementary Education alumna receives Fulbright award to teach in Luxembourg
“Hi Dr. Cohen,” the email begins. “I am SO EXCITED to tell you that I have been selected as a Fulbright Luxembourg English Teaching Assistant for the 2024-2025 school year!! I’M TEACHING IN EUROPE!!!” The message came to James Cohen from Kristal
Read moreNIU, RPS, Grow Your Own Illinois ‘RISE’ together to equip RPS 205 employees as licensed elementary education teachers
More than two dozen future teachers who already work for the Rockford Public Schools in support roles are now on their way to employer-paid bachelor’s degrees in Elementary Education from Northern Illinois University. Among their champions is Grow Your Own Illinois, the
Read morePLEDGE-ECC cheers fourth ElEd cohort, celebrates Early Childhood trailblazers
Ask Ania Tyrka why she wants to become a teacher, and she immediately smiles and points right at 10-year-old Anthony. “This little guy – my son,” said Tyrka, a “mom, homemaker and wife” who also credits 12-year-old daughter, Zosia, for the decision
Read moreAlumna Dominique Yackley inspires graduates at New Teacher Send-off
As a new group of NIU College of Education licensure majors prepared to graduate and become professionals in the classroom, a seasoned veteran advised them to pack well for the journey ahead. Their luggage, said Dominique Yackley, must include “exuberance.” “If you
Read moreCOE²: College of Education team gathers for pre-finals Celebration of Excellence
The NIU College of Education family came together May 3 in the ballroom of the Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center to celebrate another year of teaching, learning, scholarship, service and success. Acting Dean Bill Pitney recognized several faculty and staff members, including
Read moreNIU celebrates spring commencement
Congratulations to our newest NIU College of Education alumni! Two of our amazing graduates were featured a videos shown during the ceremonies. Meet Jennifer Lopez, who earned her B.S.Ed. in Middle Level Teaching and Learning … … and Cyndi Grobmeier, who completed
Read moreStudent Research Symposium celebrates undergraduate, graduate-level projects
As a Special Education major in clinical placements, Courtney James noticed something about students with autism and their devices for augmentative and alternative communication. They weren’t using them – at least not to initiate dialogue, James says, or not at all. Most
Read moreDouble-alumna Jessica Lombard named first female superintendent: Huntley 158
Jessica Lombard graduated from Huntley High School in 1990, when the superintendent of District 158 was – as had always been the case since its creation in 1920 – a man. On her return to Huntley in 2002 to become assistant principal
Read moreCOE alumna Molly Kettelhut receives Rockford-area 2024 Golden Apple award
Molly Kettelhut spent her childhood dreaming of one thing. “I wanted to teach for my whole life. I went through a short period where I wanted to do something else, but then I quickly realized – like I always had known –
Read moreAlumna Cindie Cortinas-Vogt celebrates state, national teaching awards in 2023
Cindie Cortinas-Vogt arrived late to the college game. She was 22, maybe, and all of her friends from high school already had graduated. While they all had apparently felt certain enough to enroll and select their majors as teenagers, Cortinas-Vogt had not.
Read moreCongratulations!
Gail Cappaert, an instructor of ESL methods in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, was named a WIDA Fellow for 2023-2024. The program, launched in 2019, brings expert educators and WIDA staff together in a collaborative effort to enhance the development of
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