SOE Students Lead and Support Engaging Summer Programs
Loyola University's School of Education serves as the lead partner agency for six community school sites in Rogers Park and Uptown. For the past four years in our capacity as lead partner agency, dozens of School of Education students and faculty have served as teaching assistants, volunteers, and instructional leads for out-of-school learning opportunities.
This summer, four of our students are working with the McCutcheon Community School Initiative and its Summer Explorers Camp for Pre-K - 8th grade students. Summer Explorers is organized by Loyola University's School of Education faculty and staff in collaboration with McCutcheon teachers, parents, and staff and Chicago Public Schools Community School Initiative. The summer program features learning opportunities in the arts, karate, literacy, Spanish, STEM, athletics, and culinary skills. On Friday, July 9, all 55 students arrived at Loyola for our first Friday field trip. KaiQi Chen, Annelise Huang, Alyssa Romero, and Vanessa Perez are playing important roles as classroom supports and instructional leads. For Vanessa and Alyssa, their work this summer is a continuation of their instructional work at McCutcheon during the school years. For KaiQi and Annelise, we are excited to have them join our team as classroom teaching assistants.
Vanessa is co-teaching Spanish language classes with Mr. Maradiaga for 1-2, 3-5, and 6-8th grade students two days each week during Summer Explorers. Vanessa brings a wealth of activities and resources to the classroom along with positive energy and commitment to the students. The mix of pedagogical approaches and activities that she is employing as a rising sophomore is truly inspirational. Students are regularly using their developing language skills in the hallways and cafeteria outside of the classroom as well. Alyssa has been a regular instructional lead during our school year programs at McCutcheon supporting literacy and art as well as other academic needs. This summer she is working with the literacy teacher to further develop literacy skills among students and stave off some of the learning loss that happens in summer.
Community School Initiative sites are excellent places for teacher candidates to step into instructional roles where they can share their interests, passions, and considerable skills with our amazing CPS students in Rogers Park and Edgewater...even if it's for just one hour a week. Our four teacher candidates this summer are continuing to strengthen their skill sets and developing their insights about teaching and learning in Loyola's back yard.
For more information, contact Dr. Jon Schmidt at jschmidt12@luc.edu.