MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University’s Center for Educational Media is hosting its annual PK-12 Collaborative Summer Academies — full-day professional development opportunities for teachers of English Language Learners, special education teachers and school counselors. 

The School Counselors Collaborative Summer Academy is set for July 9, followed by the ELL Collaborative Summer Academy on July 11 and the SPED Collaborative Summer Academy on July 16. 

Center Director Laura Clark said Collaborative Summer Academies run from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and consist of four sessions totaling six hours of professional development with the training, parking, morning snack and lunch offered free of charge. The Center for Educational Media, also known as the CEM, covers all costs as part of its role as a professional development center for the campus community and beyond — for the pre-K-12 education community of Tennessee. 

Clark and her staff offer 150 spots for each summer academy, but high demand resulted in openings available only for the SPED Collaborative Summer Academy with waitlists available for the other two. 

Those interested can register or join a waitlist at https://mtsu.edu/cem/pk12.php, and Clark added that all academies will be recorded and posted on the center’s website for viewing on demand at https://mtsu.edu/cem/PD_Videos.php.  

“The Collaborative Summer Academies offer educators and school counselors a chance to learn from Tennessee practitioners who are experienced in their fields and have been nominated by their peers,” Clark expanded. “Presenters will offer practical, effective ideas and strategies that can be easily applied in classrooms, schools and districts. 

“Attendees can also expect a seamless conference experience with detailed communication before and during the conference, opportunities to meet and network with peers across the state of Tennessee who share their work in schools and verification of attendance at six hours of professional development.”

The CEM is part of the larger College of Education and launched their in-house professional development — the PK-12 Collaborative at MTSU — in 2017, starting with teachers of English Language Learners. It has since expanded to serve special education teachers and school counselors, offering multiple professional development not only in the summer but throughout the school year.

The center also collaborates with statewide agencies, professional organizations for educators and educational stakeholders, such as the Tennessee Department of Education, to offer its physical training center space and media production capabilities for further supporting Tennessee’s educators. 

To learn more about events and opportunities at the Center for Educational Media, contact Jenny Marsh, manager of the CEM Professional Development Center, at https://mtsu.edu/cem/. 

— Stephanie Wagner (Stephanie.Wagner@mtsu.edu)