Future Educators of America: Preparing for lifelong education

Future+Educators+of+America%3A+Preparing+for+lifelong+education

Julia Foster, Reporter

The Future Educators of America (FEA) is a club offered at NH that promotes its members to volunteer at the local elementary schools and gain experience with educating children.  It also includes opportunities for volunteer hours, with the option to include it on future resumes.

 According to futureeducators.org, the organization has a national community of more than 10,000 student and mentor participants.
     Led by their president junior Keaton Campbell and advisor Mrs. Judy Knisley, the members of our very own North Harford chapter volunteer at local feeder elementary schools several days a week from 2 to 3:30 in the afternoon. The members of this club range from freshman to seniors, although attendance is mostly juniors and seniors and anyone is welcome to join.   “We gain experience in education, see what it is about, and decide if we like it,” Campbell said. She adds “I go to Jarrettsville Elementary and help Mrs. Frey; it’s similar to a student teaching experience.”
    Knisley, the club advisor is currently out of school and s long term substitute is fulfilling her responsibilities at the moment.  This has not stopped the members of FEA from continuing their interest in the club. They really like the substitute, and have been very grateful for her help.  Campbell says “she is very nice and likes to help us out. She gives us tons of ideas of things we could do. In fact, we are currently working on a get well basket for Mrs. Knisley”
     Senior and club member Sarah Ladenheim shares her experiences of being in the club. “I love being able to go back to the elementary school I used to attend and working with the teachers I had. I get to see how my old school has changed and how teachers have altered their teaching methods to make them more modern and added a lot of technology into the classroom.” She explained the benefits of the club as well as her reasons for joining, “It’s really fun, you get a lot of volunteer hours, and you get to spend time working with the kids which is the main goal.”
     The members of this club range from freshman to seniors, although attendance is mostly juniors and seniors, anyone is welcome to join. “We meet once or twice a month during hawks soar, around Christmas time we have a breakfast, it is very fun,” said Campbell. “I would recommend this club to anyone, as long as they are really into it and actually want to help the kids. It definitely isn’t something you do just to put on your resume. You have to really enjoy it.”