Region 3 hosts education events at A&M-Victoria
More than 100 students from high schools across the Crossroads gathered at Texas A&M University-Victoria Thursday as part of a Region 3 initiative to encourage students to pursue careers in education.
Region 3 partnered with A&M-Victoria and Victoria College to offer The Classroom is Calling, Education and Training Expo. The event hosted 111 students from six area school districts, including Boling, Cuero, Refugio, Hallettsville, Calhoun and Victoria West High School. The students are all high school juniors and seniors who are part of a statewide education and training program. The expo was funded by a grant from the Texas Education Agency as well as sponsorships by the Region 3 Education Service Center, A&M-Victoria, Victoria College, TDECU and the Victoria Federal Teachers Credit Union.
“We hope that this event and others like it will help students have a better understanding of what education is and keep them engaged,” said Martin Sanchez, Career and Technical Education specialist with the Region 3 Service Center. “Students need to have the understanding that being a classroom teacher is just the beginning of so many possibilities in the realm of education. It’s a stepping stone into a wide array of other instrumental roles.”
The expo focused on giving students experiences through breakout sessions that looked at three specific areas of teaching: teaching strategies to deliver content and classroom management, special education roles and opportunities, and technology in the classroom. In addition, students listened to a panel of A&M-Victoria faculty members who shared some of their experiences in connecting with students.
“We put together a well-rounded experience that both allows students to experience campus life and hear from leaders in the education field,” said Mary Lasater, associate dean of the College of Education & Health Professions. “It’s a great opportunity for them to see what’s possible for pursuing a higher education degree. I wish I had had this type of opportunity to learn about the teaching profession when I was a student. It makes such a difference in helping students choose their careers.”
At the end of the day, students listened to enrollment professionals from Victoria College and A&M-Victoria, who spoke about what is necessary to apply to and enroll in college and what higher education options are available in the region.
The Region 3 Education Service Center hopes this will be the first of many events that will be part of the TEA’s Texas Teach program, a pilot initiative that has a goal to recruit and retain students in education. The goal for Region 3’s program is to have students study in the area and choose to teach there and support their local communities, Sanchez said.
“It’s exciting to see A&M-Victoria and Victoria College are open to the idea of supporting this initiative,” he said. “I hope it will be just the beginning, and we will have many more opportunities to work together to support education.”
Texas A&M University-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the colleges of Business, Education & Health Professions, Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, and Natural & Applied Science. A&M-Victoria provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as online classes that students can take from anywhere. The university supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.