PEDL & AmeriCorps Promise Fellows Program Partnership

Bemidji State University PEDL and Minnesota Alliance With Youth announce a partnership to highlight their complementary programs. Individuals will be able to serve as AmeriCorps Promise Fellows and directly engage students in 6-10th grade while earning a teaching license at the same time.

AmeriCorps Promise Fellows Program

AmeriCorps Promise Fellows make a difference in the lives of youth. This 11 month national service position is perfect for those interested in gaining direct experience with youth in communities across Minnesota. Promise Fellows serve in schools and community based sites, supporting a focus list of 30 students in 6-10th grade. Their roles include coordinating tutoring & mentoring programs before, during or after school, providing small group & one to one support and connecting youth to service and leadership opportunities. Promise Fellows connect students with the critical supports and interventions they need to succeed and ultimately graduate from high school!

Minimum Qualifications: Must be able to serve full-time (40 hours/week) for a minimum of 1720 hours; must be US Citizen, National or Permanent Resident; and must have a high school diploma or GED. Benefits: Modest Living Allowance, Education Award, Qualified Federal Student Loan Forbearance, Health and Dental Insurance, Qualified Childcare Assistance and Ongoing Professional Development Training.

Promise Fellow Contact: Kyle Kline , kkline@mnyouth.net

PEDL (FasTrack and DLiTE) Contact: Jessamay Pesek, jpesek@bemidjistate.edu

The FasTrack PostBac Secondary Initiative is an accelerated, online/hybrid cohort program designed for students who hold undergraduate or graduate degrees in an area other than education. FasTrack requires only three face-to-face meetings (in the Twin Cities) per year, so it’s ideal for those who cannot attend an on-campus program. Three semester program. As soon as you enroll in FasTrack, you may be eligible to begin teaching on a limited license. This will be determined by your school district and the State Board of Teaching, based on the license area and relevant factors.

Testimony from a current AmeriCorps/ Bemidji State DLiTE student Samantha Whillock; Voyageurs Expeditionary School, Bemidji Minnesota:

Samantha Whillock, an elementary education major from Cottage Grove, is currently participating in the AmeriCorps program. Whitlock says the program has helped her gain hands-on teaching experience and build a network of friends and mentors that will benefit her for the remainder of her career.

“If it were not for the DLiTE program, I probably wouldn’t have been able to follow this dream,” she said. “DLiTE and AmeriCorps were the missing pieces of my puzzle. They have fueled my passion for education and have given me the knowledge and experience to feel confident that I’ll have a classroom of my own someday.”