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Courtesy photo

Special to The Gazette

Ninety-three Kansas high school students spent the week of June 5 at Emporia State University exploring the education profession during the annual Kansas Future Teacher Academy. This is the largest group of prospective educators since KFTA’s founding in 1989.

Building a pipeline of excellent new educators is critical as Kansas is still experiencing a significant teacher shortage. Hosted at ESU, the KFTA provides high school students with the opportunity to learn more about the challenges and rewards of teaching and has become recognized as an established and highly respected training opportunity for students throughout the state of Kansas. During this intense five-day program, the participants engage in a variety of activities that helps them to understand better what teachers do.

“It has been the most amazing experience,” said Todd Roberts, KFTA director. “Students were completely engaged.”

This year was a powerful experience, said Amy Hillman, KFTA assistant director.

“There were a lot of special moments during the Academy,” Hillman said. “The minute they landed in this experience, we set a tone of safety and established a safe place. We told them ‘this is a safe space, a brave space. You are valued and seen.’”

Students at the Academy participated in activities that exposed them to various aspects of the education profession and allowed for connections with each other. They heard from educators from across the state, including Brian Skinner, 2023 Kansas Teacher of the Year.

“The four of us with the 2023 KTOY team all left with our cups full, because of the promise and the passion that was represented in our sessions,” Skinner wrote. “Because of the number of students who stayed after our presentations to give feedback and ask more questions and because of the compassion they made so clear for every type of child to see success and representation.”

That compassion for others was reflected in the students’ interactions with each other as well, Hillman said. Students designed a social contract on the first day and adhered to it. They participated in activities called Origin Story and Wooden Spoon, which allowed them to show each other compassion for their unique cultures and stories.

“They were showing true emotion,” Roberts said. “Some kids were crying. They really shared their stories and they allowed themselves to be vulnerable.”

Participant Meheraj “MJ” Arif, who will be a senior at Emporia High School this fall, said the Origin Story activity impacted him the most.

“We were telling what the meaning behind our names was,” he said. “It was just so emotionally charging.”

Funding for the academy is provided by the Kansas Legislature and a small student fee and is coordinated through The Teachers College at Emporia State University.

More information on the Kansas Future Teacher Academy can be found at emporia.edu/kfta.