Lewiston Adult Education will host informational sessions about an upcoming training program for potential teachers and educational technicians.
Both meetings about Educator Academy will be held online in Zoom sessions. The first is Dec. 10 at 6 p.m. and the second is Dec. 14 at 6 p.m.
Educator Academy is designed to prepare current substitutes, educational technicians or adult education students who are interested in working in education with the skills needed to be successful in U.S. schools. The program will consist of four separate classes taught over 12 months.
The next session of Educator Academy is scheduled to begin in 2021.
New Mainers who have an interest in working in education setting as a teacher or an educational technician, have the CASAS level of advanced ESL, meet income eligibility requirement to receive scholarships, have a bachelor’s degree from a home country, have access to college degrees and diplomas and have authorization to work in the U.S. are eligible to apply.
Each class will meet two days a week for the total of 12 weeks. Students should expect to take additional classes to work on their English to meet the requirements to be employed by Lewiston Public Schools. The mode of instruction – via Zoom or in person – has not been determined yet.
In addition to the course work and continuing education hours, students will also improve English proficiency and receive support regarding the steps necessary to apply to the Maine Department of Education for educational technician authorization or initial teacher certification.
The program also has financial support for fees for translation and evaluation of transcripts, fingerprinting and application fees. Educational advising for the student’s next steps and career guidance will continue after the conclusion of the academy.
For more information, contact Irina Petranek at ipetranek@lewistonpublicschools.org.