The MSTA Blog: Classroom mentors can take free classes

Columbia College students interested in education can gain valuable classroom and administrative experience through a partnership with Columbia Public Schools and surrounding Boone County school districts.

The college students aren’t the only ones seeing a benefit from the partnership; the classroom teachers who host Columbia College students have the opportunity to take master-level classes at Columbia College free of charge.

“Several of our school programs have benefitted by having field students work student in the programs, such as our ELL Immersion Students and Viking Success Center,” said Lily Long, language arts department chair at West Junior High School. “Students who needed one-on-one support with reading, writing or math were able to have that additional help from the Columbia College education students assigned to these programs."

Participating school districts include:
In Columbia Public Schools:
Elementary Schools

Benton
Grant
Midway
Parkade
Russell Boulevard
Middle schools
Gentry
Smithon

Junior high schools

Jefferson
West

Hallsville R-IV School District
Southern Boone County School District
Harrisburg R-IV School District
Sturgeon R-V School District

Columbia College is working on an agreement with Ridgeway Elementary School. Marsha Knudsen, Columbia College partnership/field experience liaison, said she hopes to finalize the details with a formal signing ceremony later this summer.

Columbia College offers a Master of Arts in Teaching program on the main campus in the evening and online 24/7 to fit busy teachers' schedules.

Interested in hosting a student in exchange for a free class? Contact Marsha Knudsen at [email protected].

Information in this article came from Columbia College, a private, nonprofit institution founded in 1851 in Columbia, Mo.

Columbia College educates more than 29,000 students each year, has more than 67,000 alumni worldwide and operates more than 30 Nationwide Campuses including nine physical campuses in Missouri, an Evening Campus for working teachers and a 24/7 Online Campus.