Urban Ed - Denver Campus Urban Ed - Hearder v1
 

Our Program

Center Points

  • Admission is open to high school graduates of any age.
  • Multi-disciplinary courses focus on literacy and teacher development.
  • Academic classes are presented in a concentrated block format.
  • Students are employed in a classroom apprenticeships every morning.
  • College courses are held in the afternoon at the Center.
  • Teaching methods courses are introduced immediately in the first semester.
  • Financial aid, scholarships and student loans are available.

It’s a work and learn program. Here’s what we mean:

Classroom Apprenticeship
All Center students spend their mornings in a classroom teacher apprenticeship position - all four years. Students receive pay as well as college credit for this experience. That means they are part of the school environment as working contributing staff members while they complete their college education. . During the entire four years, each Center student is mentored by a retired master teacher who offers guidance and support for the classroom apprenticeship experience.

AcademicClasses

Afternoons are spent in academic classes at the Center. For those enrolled in the elementary program students major in a liberal arts program with a concentration in English and literacy which gives them a broad foundation for teaching and learning with their future students. Classes in learning how to teach all subjects areas to children are offered from the very start – not reserved until the junior and senior years as in most teacher prep programs. Students can bring what they learn in the teaching methods classes into their apprenticeship classrooms immediately – putting into practice what they learn and seeing for themselves what works.

For those choosing to major in special education, a similar liberal arts program is provided along with courses in special education theory, practice and pedagogy to ensure teachers have the breadth of knowledge needed to be a special education teacher.  Upon completion of the program, students have the opportunity to become licensed as K-12 Special Educators with Generalist Endorsement. All Center students also take advantage of special seminars in educational technology, classroom management techniques, tapping instructional resources found in the metropolitan area along with a variety of helpful learning experiences.

What will I study at the Center and when?

The four-year course of study includes a variety of subjects that contribute to a well-rounded college education and preparation for the most challenging of school classrooms A unique feature of the Center is the scheduling of classes. Center students focus on one academic class at a time permitting them, for example, to complete course requirements for a math, English, history, etc. class in five weeks. This enables students to focus more clearly on the work at hand and come away from each classroom experience richer in what they have learned. Along the way they are involved in small, teacher training workshops periodically during the four years.