Future CEHD Students See Education in Action
SEA OTRR event drew future education majors to UND’s campus
Teacher education and education careers were front and center at this fall’s See Education in Action for Outreach in Teacher Recruitment and Retention (SEA OTRR) event on October 9.
The event drew over 100 high school students from within a 90-mile radius of Grand Forks. Recruitment and Outreach Specialist Patricia Lopez said it was an opportunity for the students to learn about life on campus and about available CEHD majors.
“It was a really fun day, a lot of learning, a lot of excitement, a lot of controlled and happy chaos,” said Lopez.
Opening remarks were delivered by Kirsten Baesler, North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Dr. Shelbie Witte, Dean of the College of Education and Human Development at UND.
The young visitors were guided by current CEHD students, many of whom are members of the Future Educators of UND (FEUND). Seven of those guides were mentors at previous SEA OTRR events. Lopez said this experience was quite valuable for the CEHD students since it provided an opportunity for them as future teachers to interact with high school students in small groups and in a more informal setting than a traditional classroom. The high school students also appreciated the chance to ask questions of the CEHD students about what life is like on campus and for education majors.
“A few (of the high school students) made comments to mentors that SEA OTRR helped seal the deal as to coming to UND in the fall,” said Lopez.
CEHD faculty members also said they had meaningful, in-depth conversations with the high school visitors. Lopez said two or three of the visiting high school students said they were interested in majoring in education, while several others who responded to a survey asking them to give feedback on the event also said they would consider education as a future career.
Some current UND students attended previous SEA OTRR recruitment events, Lopez said, so it has been a good recruitment tool for the profession.
At this most recent SEA OTRR event, the high school students were invited to build a hawk’s nest – an activity that Lopez said was new this year. Each student was given a piece of fabric and invited to write messages of goals or affirmation. The messages were tied to twigs that were used to build a nest. At the end of the day, the UND Fighting Hawk mascot sat in the nest. The hawk’s nest building activity was UND branded and intended to demonstrate that all UND Hawks are a family, and the campus is a safe space to grow and learn. Lopez said organizers hope to use the activity at future events.
Monte Gaukler, who retired from UND last summer, originally conceived and launched the SEA OTRR event series in 2022. This most recent event was organized by Lopez and Outreach Specialist Katie Stermer, with assistance from CEHD Department Assistant Angie Stokke. They ensured that the parents of the attendees were sent photos of the hawk’s nest along with information about the event, UND programs, scholarship availability, and other important information about the university.
The next SEA OTRR event is scheduled for Feb. 26, 2025. All area high schools are invited to participate and bring their students. CEHD faculty and students will once again be on hand to welcome high school students to campus, promote teacher education programs and ensure that visitors will once again See Education in Action.
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