When Opportunity Knocks, Entrepreneurial Educators Answer! Educator 500's
More than 80 entrepreneurial educators accepted an invitation to gather one evening in the Autograph Library in Philips Memorial Hall of West Chester University. The event was a dinner meeting to share experiences in entrepreneurial education and ways to make 3E programming even more helpful to their work. These educators are mainly classroom teachers from more than a dozen school districts of the Delaware Valley. They work hard to engage their students in learning. They love their work and are always extremely busy, yet they know this meeting promises to be an important opportunity for them - and ultimately for their students – so they would not want to miss it.
Some of these educators have also enjoyed an evening “reunion” of colleagues from the 3E Summer Institute Entrepreneurial Educator course. That evening was spent sharing updates on their learning projects for students, swapping tips and resources, and encouraging one another as they move forward. Long after the meeting officially broke off clusters of teachers lingered on the parking lot of Chester County Intermediate Unit, trading ideas and experiences.
All of these educators have something in common in addition to their profession. Each has either become a 3E Educator 500 or has taken at least one WCU graduate credit teacher professional development course at a 3E Summer Institute. Since the 3E Institute began in 2002, hundreds of educators from southeastern Pennsylvania and beyond have participated in 3E activities. You may be one of them.
The 3E Institute’s cornerstone program is the Educator 500, to recognize and support the development of initiative and the entrepreneurial spirit in educators. Educator 500 is awarded to individual educators and teams who develop and implement innovative projects. Their projects must exemplify best practices for student learning and they must engage resources and people outside the classroom - for example, businesses, community, or parents.
Once a project is in place, becoming an Educator 500 means submitting an application. This form describes the project and provides useful information for others who may wish to replicate or borrow from it. Supervisors or others may recommend someone for Educator 500 induction, but as befits the title, it is up to the entrepreneurial educator to follow through with the application. All applications are reviewed and evaluated by a panel before they may be designated Educator 500.
The focal point for the year at 3E Institute is its spring Leadership Forum in Philadelphia, when hundreds of leaders of the region’s business and education community gather to honor excellence in teaching. At this time each Educator 500 is publicly recognized.
The 3E Institute showcases the Educator 500 as a:
- Reward to the educators themselves
- Role model to other educators
- Source of collective best practices for the 3E community to share and use
- Way to build awareness in the greater community
To date approximately 160 projects have become part of the Educator 500. The projects apply mostly to some point of the PreK-12 grade spectrum, although some projects are college level and others involve parents. Likewise, the projects cover a wide range of curricular areas, with the top areas being science, technology, social studies and history, and math, followed in frequency by language arts, writing, reading and art. Projects demonstrate diversity and imagination. They are hands-on and often take a problem-based approach. They are based on teamwork and collaboration that extends beyond the classroom, tapping resources of community organizations, businesses, parents and other volunteers. They document learning and change, aligning to state standards of learning. To see a list of Educator 500 inducted in May, 2006 click here
When educators enter the 3E community by becoming Educator 500’s or by taking a summer institute, they may enjoy benefits of more involvement:
- Online digital community that is being built of conversations, blogs, pod casts, e-newsletters and more
- Meetings such as those mentioned above, as well as special topic seminars and workshops
- Eligibility to apply for 3E Incubator Seed Grants to launch new learning projects
As educators continue their participation in the 3E community - both digital and live - they may be invited to join the 3E Ambassadors. These are a select group who participate as teacher trainers, lead workshops and seminars, identify and encourage new Educator 500’s to apply, present at conferences and other meetings, write articles, and model the role of entrepreneurial educator-leader.
In fact, signing up for a course with 3E or applying for Educator 500 leads to an ongoing community of support, development and inspiration with hundreds of like-minded educators and their partners in the region.
At 3E Institute, Opportunity is always knocking at your door!!
Visit the 3E Website at www.3EInstitute.orgto learn more about opportunities for you with 3E Institute. To submit an application for Educator 500 contact Bonnie Zeolla at jzeolla@wcupa.edu or 610.738.0582.