Students Dream To Teach at Grand View

Dream to Teach students gather at Grand View for a workshop.

DMPS Dream to Teach students got a glimpse into the future at Grand View earlier this month, learning from college students and educators about the path to becoming a teacher.

Wayne Ford, Alex Piedras and several Grand View students of color spoke to the Dream to Teach students in the new Grand View Student Center.

“We wanted them to hear what college was like, and what the realities of teaching can be, from the perspective of current students and educators,” said program coordinator Sarai Tillinghast.

The students learned about the opportunities at Grand View, the college application process, the college experience from the students’ perspective, and Ford shared his personal experience with education and the opportunities he found in Des Moines compared to his upbringing in Washington, D.C.  All of the speakers encouraged students to work hard to see their dreams come true, Tillinghast said.

Tillinghast and her team work with minority students in middle and high school who have an interest in becoming teachers, providing support to help them go on to college and careers in education. The program provides mentors to students and assistance at the higher education level and during their first years of teaching in the field.

“Grand View has been a great partner throughout the development of the program,” said Tillinghast.

Dream to Teach was established in 2014 and has become a popular program for students of color interested in a career in teaching.