Maryville R-II utilizes pathways grant for educators

Over 30 Maryville Middle and High School teachers spent July 11 learning about Maryville resources which can be utilized in project based learning for their students.

Maryville R-II School District was awarded a Pathways for Educators grant by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) for use in the professional development of 36 middle and high school teachers.

The DESE grant was applied for by Pathways Consultant Allyson Graham of the Regional Professional Development Center at Northwest Missouri State University. The teachers are going through an externship, a temporary training program in a workplace.

The Pathways for Educators Tour held on July 11 took the teachers on tours of Nucor LMP Steel, Inc., Deluxe Corporation, Mosaic Medical Center – Maryville and the Northwest Technical School. The teachers are looking at ways to incorporate Project Based Learning (PBL) and career development into their lesson plans.

At Mosaic, President Nate Blackford answered questions about the hospital. He said not all careers connected with the hospital are healthcare specific. He discussed creating mentorship-type programs to encourage students as they go through nursing, medical school or other healthcare training, thus giving Mosaic the chance to “grow our own” and be “actively involved in recruiting our own.”

When asked what skills the hospital is interested in, he replied, “You can train for a skill. People are here because they are passionate about caring for others.”

The tour gave them the opportunity to see what soft skills employers are looking for and how to embed these into their curriculum. This information was used as the teachers undertook the PBL training on July 15 and 16.

Two coaching sessions will be held on September 9 and November 11, as the teachers incorporate what they have learned. A PBL school visit to Liberty schools is planned for October 14. Finally, January 6, 2020, the teachers will give presentations.