A perfect fall day set the stage for CEA’s Aspiring Educator Program (AEP) kickoff event, where 70 future educators gathered at Lyman Orchards in Middlefield to connect with one another and have fun. Students enjoyed a lineup of activities, games, contests, great food, and, of course, the fan-favorite corn maze.
“This year’s kickoff had by far the largest turnout we’ve ever had,” said CEA Educational Issues Specialist Elizabeth Sked. “Most of the students who came out and weren’t already members joined on the spot. It’s a great way to get our Aspiring Educators pumped for the year ahead.”
“Our kickoff event at Lyman Orchards is a low-stakes entry point for students who don’t know much about the AEP,” says CEA AEP Chair Hannah Spinner. “We gained more than 20 new members, and students got to learn a little bit more about what a union does and what our program can do for them.”
The CEA AEP supports students as they navigate their teacher preparation programs and centers on professional development, advocacy, community service, and social and racial justice and includes a wide variety of networking and leadership opportunities.
“Everyone had a lot of fun, and we saw a lot of involvement from even many freshmen who were interested in learning more about CEA and the CEA AEP,” says Cole Brown, president of the SCSU’s Future Educators chapter.
“It really stood out to me how many freshmen and sophomores we had at the kickoff this year,” Spinner agrees. “Sometimes in the past we’ve had mostly upperclassmen, but we had genuine interest from so many people, and I think it speaks a lot to the efforts that we’re been making to promote the program and its benefits and ensuring that we’re diversifying who we’re reaching out to.”
Spinner and Brown agree that the social connections students make are a highlight of the kickoff and something that brings members back to future AE events.
“A lot of my members, their favorite part was the corn maze,” Brown says. “That competitive aspect, many of them enjoyed that a lot, but they also enjoyed the bingo, getting to know everyone and mingling, and the free apple cider.”
“Lots of AEs got to get closer, not only with their chapter members and chapter leaders, but with CEA staff and our state AE leadership team,” Spinner says. “That’s a big positive about how we structure the core maze activity. We count everybody off, so they’re not necessarily with people they know from their chapter. They’re facilitated by a state leadership team member of a CEA staff member, so they’re able to learn more about the program as they take part in the maze competition.”
“That mingling between people from different chapters is a big goal of the kickoff,” Sked says. “It’s always fun to see AEs make new connections.”
CEA Treasurer Stephanie Wanzer and CEA Secretary Gail Jorden were both on hand to welcome the aspiring educators into the CEA family and share the importance of unionism and community.
“It was really great to have members of CEA’s governance team speak at the event—it’s a positive for our members to be able to meet them,” says Sked. “We also had a campus advisor there, which was great for supporting students who are new to the program.”
The CEA AEP’s next statewide events are beautification projects coming up November 15 at public schools in Preston and Naugatuck. The AEP will also be active in advocating for paid student teaching and other initiatives once the legislative session begins in February and has plans for meetings with legislators. In March, students host a statewide Read Across America event, and college and university chapters are organizing their own community service, advocacy, and professional development events.
Annual membership in CEA’s AEP is only $25 per year, yet between student loans, unpaid student teaching requirements, edTPA, and more, pre-service teachers often have tremendous financial responsibilities and few resources. Teachers, parents, and community members can sponsor an aspiring educator with a $25 gift that will help ensure a bright tomorrow for Connecticut’s public schools.
