ENOSBURG FALLS — Richford teacher Emily Kimball has been tapped to lead the new Teacher and Human Services Prep Program launching this fall at the Cold Hollow Career Center.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to have been offered this opportunity to work with students who share my passion for education and work in human services,” Kimball told the Messenger by email.
The program, which is open to high school juniors and seniors, is meant to eventually become a feeder program for Vermont’s professional educational system. Participation will earn students college credits and give them the opportunity for live, on-site learning in local schools.
Cold Hollow Career Center director Nate Demars told the Messenger the school is always trying to design programs that meet the needs and demands of the labor market.
“Just looking at the amount of jobs in the human services in our area, in the schools, at NCSS or other local services, there is a huge demand for them, and we wanted to create a pipeline for students to pursue those careers,” he said.
The approval process for the program concluded this spring after it was given the go-ahead by the regional advisory board, the school board and the Vermont Agency of Education.
“If we can get these students, these juniors learning what they need to know and then as seniors actually going out and working in our schools and working in our Pre-K and Kindergarten classes, that would be a great thing,” Demars said. “To have them being mentors to these kids and allow them the hands-on experience [in the profession] that’s a win-win for our schools and our community.”
So far, there are around 10 students interested in participating in the first year of the program, Demars said. The career hopes of the students span everything from psychology to child psychology, to guidance counselors and teachers.
“What better way to have kids stay in our communities and give back than by being in education?” Demars said. “They already know the community, they already know the ins and outs of what makes this community tick, and the teachers can connect with them right off the bat.”
A new teacher to lead
After a widespread search and many resumes, Kimball was chosen as the leader of the Teacher and Human Services Prep Program. She has a graduate degree and an English Language Learner’s License and is designing the new program now.
“She was looked to as a role model for new teachers,” Demars said. “Everyone pointed to her, and I think we found the perfect fit.”
Kimball said she hopes to spend her first year building interest in the program and preparing students for college with meaningful, live experiences. Echoing Demars, Kimball said she hopes to inspire her students to eventually return to teach in Franklin County schools.
“Many of the students who I will be working with in the upcoming year are students that I taught as elementary and middle school students, so that for me is very exciting,” Kimball said. “Students who are participating in the program who I know have reached out to express their excitement that I will be teaching their courses this year. That to me is the best compliment as an educator.”
Program details
The two-year program starts junior year and will continue through senior year.
The student’s second year, Demars said, would include job shadowing, internships and working in the field.
For their work, the students will earn six transferable college credits in two college-level classes in Human Growth and Development and Child Psychology. Their programming – a national curriculum called Educators Rising – was purchased by the State of Vermont as a support to centers like CHCC and is specifically geared towards students leaning toward education as a career.
The program could, potentially, expand to offer the students 12 credits instead of six and is already linked with Enosburg Elementary School and NCSS for potential collaborations. Demars said the students – despite not having set foot in the classroom yet – are already in high demand from local principals.
“They’re calling and asking how they can have access to these students,” Demars said. “They want these students to be mentors to our other kids.”
Gaging interest
While Demars said there is already clear and vested interest in the program, the 8th grade student body showed hesitation in a survey CHCC sent out. One of the questions included was “what do you definitely not want to be when you grow up?”
“An alarming trend is that a teaching career is a ‘no way’ job for them,” Demars said. “I think students are aware of some of the behaviors post-pandemic that have been stressful on teachers.”
Despite the challenges, Demars said he’s heartened by the enthusiasm for the program and the opportunity for students to give back to their community.
It is, after all, a community that he himself returned to.
“When you look at this community, everyone knows each other, everybody’s willing to help anybody out,” Demars said. “When we experience success, we all do. When we experience tragedy, people are there for each other. And as we get more diverse and more people move in, we want to make sure everyone feels welcome, and to have those students come back to our schools only builds our community.”
