Aurora University Staff Members Address National Conference

AURORA, Ill. October 24, 2006 - Pamela Ferdinand of Maple Park and Judy Maxwell of Sugar Grove, Aurora University Future Educators Association (FEA) coordinators, spoke at Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) International’s 2006 Summit on Public Education at Washington, D.C., Oct. 19-21.

Ferdinand and Ellen Neupert of Bristol, former AU FEA coordinator, presented “FEA Advisor Training,” a workshop held Oct. 19. Topics included advisor recruitment and retention programs, budgets, and building professional networks.

On Oct. 20, Ferdinand and Maxwell presented “Who Will Be Our Future Educators?” Participants learned how to start FEA chapters through collaborative efforts between universities/colleges and public schools.

Using the Aurora University model of partnering by AU’s College of Education and area public schools, Maxwell and Ferdinand described how they helped establish FEA chapters in 15 area high schools. AU facilitates varied activities for the chapters and also provides advisor stipends and student scholarships.

Workshop attendees were divided into groups to discuss ideas for similar collaborations between colleges of education and schools to create FEA chapters. Ferdinand and Maxwell then reconvened the groups to share ideas generated. The presenters encouraged attendees to develop a plan/model for recruiting the next generation of educators.

Celebrating its centennial anniversary, Bloomington, Ind.-based PDK International is the premier professional association for educators. PDK strives to prepare the next generation of educators as well as to serve practicing teachers, administrators, college educators, and those concerned about public education through a wide range of innovative initiatives based on visionary leadership, relevant research, and dedicated service. Since its founding, the member-based association has served more than 500,000 members in communities across the United States and abroad.

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