Department Honors Program
Students who wish to pursue Education Department honors collaborate with a faculty member to develop an Honors project. Because of the Professional Semester during the senior year, Education students need to begin the Honors sequence (EDUC 497 and 498) during their junior year. More information can be found here or you can speak with your academic advisor.
University Honors Program
The University Honors Program is open to incoming first year students. For more information on the qualifications and application process, please see the Honors Program webpage.
Smith Scholar Intern
This grant enables highly capable juniors or seniors to spend a semester or a full year being mentored by a faculty member who is involved in a significant scholarly project. In exceptional cases, a lower division student may be considered. The amount awarded to the student is paid on an hourly basis up to a maximum of $575 per semester. The activities undertaken by a student intern will vary according to the needs of the project, but the intern’s commitment of time is not to exceed 75 hours per semester. For more information, contact any Education Faculty member.
Conference Participation
Education majors often have the opportunity to collaborate with faculty members on research and present at conferences at the state or national level. Contact any Education faculty member for more information.
EAMU
Education Association of Messiah University (EAMU) is a student organization for students in teacher certification majors. Students in teacher certification majors will receive information about EAMU through e-mails and a bulletin board located on the fourth floor of Boyer Hall. Students can also see upcoming EAMU events and posts on Facebook. Some of the projects that EAMU assists with are Boxtops for Education, teacher bags for student teachers, book drive, and school supply kits for mission organizations.
Study Abroad Opportunities
Messiah University education students are encouraged to broaden their educational experience by spending a semester in another country. Many early childhood education majors plan to study in Cheltenham, England, where an education field experience is included in the experience. Students seeking certification in Spanish or French are required to spend at least a semester in a setting in another country. Many of these students stay for two semesters to have a fuller experience and to be able to more fully integrate their language skills to better prepare them for the classroom.
Education students are not limited to the experiences listed above. The Intercultural Office has information about many study abroad opportunities to fit your individual interests. For programs that are of special interest to education majors, follow this link.
Practicums
Education students can earn college credit and valuable experience by scheduling to complete a practicum in schools. Typically, students would choose a topic to explore that would not normally be included in a student teaching experience or that would supplement a student teaching experience in a particular focus.
Tutoring Opportunities
Many education students use their skills and desire to teach as community volunteers in after-school tutoring programs. Students can practice their skills while helping to meet the needs of our local community. Please contact the Agape Center for Service & Learning at agapecenter@messiah.edu for current opportunities.