Wilmington University is leading the way in ensuring a pipeline of qualified teachers, starting with engaging tomorrow’s educators while they are still in high school.

WilmU’s Academic Partnership Office hosted a lunch-and-learn event for Smyrna High School’s Teacher Academy in April. Twenty students and their instructor, Ginny Willis, toured the New Castle campus. Dr. Michael Curry, who chairs Secondary Programs at the College of Education and Liberal Arts, led a discussion and fielded thoughtful questions from the students about their next steps as aspiring teachers.

Most students will graduate high school with at least nine WilmU credits. They will have passed the Praxis Core test, which measures reading, writing, and mathematics skills and the content knowledge vital for candidates entering teacher preparation programs.

WilmU’s Academic Partnership Office collaborates with high schools, community colleges, universities, and government organizations to provide students and employees with guided pathways to degrees. Lisa Lombardozzi, external affairs coordinator at the partnership office, organized the event.