Coffee High School is excited to announce the second annual Summer Teacher Externship participants. This program allows teachers to take part in strategic externship professional development opportunities. Teachers have been paired with local community partners to learn about the skills and competencies needed to succeed in a particular industry or career path.
The externship will be a week-long opportunity with hands-on learning experiences that help teachers enrich their classroom pedagogy by using real-world applications of the academic content they teach. Last year, Coffee High had four participants. This year the program has been expanded to eight.
Keyanna Dawson, teacher in the Academy of Health & Human Services and athletic trainer, will expand her knowledge of Douglas and Coffee County by being paired with the Douglas Coffee County Chamber of Commerce. April Doherty, teacher in the Academy of Health & Human Services, will spend time with Dr. Barber and staff at Southeastern Orthopaedics and Surgery Center. Colby Patton–science teacher in the Academy of Fine Arts, Business and Information Technology–will spend his week outdoors at Sunbelt Greenhouses. Todd Womack-history teacher in the Academy of Fine Arts, Business, and Information Technology–will spend time working with the City of Douglas. Beth Wright, ESOL (English as a Second Language) teacher, will be paired with Goodwill, specifically working with their HYPE Summer Program. James Lowther–counselor for the Academy of Fine Arts, Business and Information Technology–will be serving at Unison Behavioral Health. During her week, Natalie Lugo-science teacher in the Academy of Engineering, Agriculture, and Mechanics–will be shadowing extension agents at the UGA Extension office in Douglas. Math teacher from the Academy of Engineering, Agriculture, and Mechanics, Mrs. Katrina Burch, will be assisting the Coffee County Schools nutrition department as they track and serve through their summer nutrition program.
The Coffee County School System is devoted to the academy model and will sponsor these week-long experiences. Superintendent Morris Leis states, “This opportunity will prepare our teachers and ultimately our students for employability and will provide opportunities for workforce development right here in Coffee County. Our business and industry partners, parents, and students are counting on our schools, and I am so excited to see this important work continuing at Coffee High School. We can all be proud of our excellent teachers, staff, and students! Coffee is brewing stronger than ever and our vision of creating a stronger community through an equitable and excellent education is alive and well.”