News

MNU’s New Accelerated Elementary Education Program Unique in Area

OLATHE, KAN., -- A new option for adults who want to change careers to become elementary school teachers is the only one of its kind in the Metro. The 18-month accelerated elementary education program is slated to start its first class in January 2014. The program joins MNU’s other highly successful accelerated degree programs that allow adults to continue working while completing a degree.
 
School of Education Dean Nancy Damron says the program is unique in several ways.
 
“No other program in this area allows students to earn their first bachelor’s degree in elementary education in an accelerated manner,” Damron says. “We also have a virtual attendance option that is convenient for students who live at least 45 miles from our Olathe campus.”
 
According to Damron, students in this program will experience teaching and learning through methods designed for adult learners. These methods emphasize collaboration and real-time experiential learning whether one is in the virtual or physical classroom.
 
The curriculum also emphasizes high-tech resources in every course.
“The technology tools utilized in this program are next century tools, designed to prepare teacher candidates for next century teaching and learning,” Damron says. “Our technology-rich classrooms were provided through the Preparing Educators for Rural Kansas (PERK) grant, a $6.6 million Teacher Quality grant. “
 
The program leads to either a bachelor’s degree or licensure depending on the students’ needs. Students will be able to continue working for the first year of their program, only needing to change their work schedule when it is time to student teach.
 
To qualify for admission students should have an AA or AS degree, a bachelor’s degree or a minimum of 60 transferrable semester hours with all general education requirements fulfilled. For more information visit www.mnu.edu/aee. 
 

ABOUT MNU
MidAmerica Nazarene University is a private, Christian, liberal arts university founded in 1966. MNU offers 40 undergraduate majors and three adult degree completion programs, as well as five professional graduate degrees in business, education, nursing, and counseling, and postgraduate certificates. Online offerings include classes in education, nursing and management. Study abroad as well as service-learning experiences are encouraged through MNU’s Go Global, MNU Europe and ServiceCorps programs. The campus is located on 105 acres in Olathe, Kan., and operates a location in Liberty, Mo., for adult and graduate programs. More information may be found at www.mnu.edu.
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