This summer, the University of Maryland College of Education welcomed students ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade to campus through three summer learning programs designed to build skills, introduce new opportunities and connect students with the college’s faculty, staff and resources.
ExploreEd Introduces High School Students to Careers in Education
This summer, the College of Education launched ExploreEd, a weeklong program designed to introduce high school students to careers in education and inspire them to see themselves as future educators. The inaugural program engaged over 30 Maryland high school students, including six students who participated in the full-day ExploreEd experience and 27 Terp Young Scholars participants who joined the afternoon sessions.
ExploreEd participants gained firsthand experience in a variety of educational settings. Students observed instruction during the college’s Summer Reading Program, visited the Center for Young Children and spent time at the Extended School Year program at Eastern Middle School, a Montgomery County Public Schools Professional Development School partner.
Students also participated in workshops focused on college and career readiness. Sessions covered topics including college essay writing, exploring majors and career pathways, navigating the admissions process and learning about campus resources.
Summer Reading Program Builds Literacy Skills
For nearly a decade, the college has partnered with the City of College Park to provide local children with opportunities to
strengthen their reading skills while experiencing learning on a university campus.
Associate Clinical Professor Ayanna Baccus and College of Education graduate students and alumni partnered with the City of College Park’s Youth, Family and Senior Services Division to host the University of Maryland Summer Reading Program. Approximately 45 K-7th graders from Prince George’s County participated in this year’s program.
The program provides children with targeted literacy instruction over the course of three weeks. The students also enjoyed visits and book readings from several authors and illustrators, including Mireya Johnson, Courtney Johnson, Ebony Edwards and Zoe Seay.
Terp Young Scholars Develop Writing Skills
The College of Education also welcomed high school students through the University of Maryland’s Terp Young Scholars program, a three-week pre-college experience that allows high school students to explore their academic interests, connect with faculty and earn three university credits.
This summer, the college hosted “Level Up Your Writing,” a course designed to help students build confidence and develop their skills as writers, and taught by Taylor Togafau-Lewis, a doctoral student in the applied linguistics and language education program. Through interactive workshops, peer feedback and targeted guidance, students explored different styles of writing, developed their own voices, generated ideas and learned to communicate clearly and persuasively for different audiences.
