Adopt-A-Classroom Seeks Participants to Work With Local Schools

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Joel Freund, a University of Arkansas professor of psychology, shows a human brain to students in Shawn Bell’s science class last year at Randall G. Lynch Middle School in Farmington as part of the Adopt-A-Classroom program.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The University of Arkansas Education Renewal Zone is seeking faculty members, staff members and doctoral students in all academic departments to partner with local public school teachers through the Adopt-A-Classroom program.

The program, based in the College of Education and Health Professions, is in its second year. Faculty and staff who participate will be matched with a K-12 teacher in one of 23 partner schools. These are schools in rural areas or schools that serve populations typically underrepresented in higher education. The purpose of the program is to allow K-12 teachers to see best practices and up-to-date content knowledge modeled in their classrooms by university faculty and staff.

This year, a partnership with the Northwest Arkansas Writing Project will allow the program to expand to the Berryville School District in Carroll County.

“We hope to hear from staff members and doctoral students, as well as faculty members,” said Elizabeth Smith, director of the Education Renewal Zone. “Last year's participants included tenured faculty, a campus librarian and a biologist who works in a plant sciences lab. We welcome people from all areas of campus.”

Benjamin Chamberlain, associate director of bands, teamed with Karri Altrogge, band director at Gentry High School, last year. Chamberlain visited Gentry several times, and the high school and university bands rehearsed together on the university campus.

Altrogge said the school and community of Gentry were honored to be chosen for the program and her students were excited to visit campus. It was the first trip to a university for many of them, she said. The experience of rehearsing with the university students also broadened their horizons, she said.

Chamberlain said it was the first opportunity for some of the Gentry students to play and hear certain pieces of music with complete instrumentation.

“Working with this age group was absolutely thrilling,” he said. “These students are so enthusiastic about the music, so willing to explore new musical ideas. They are a joy to conduct.”

The program offers service-minded faculty and staff members the chance to have a positive impact on students and teachers, Smith said, and the visits also could serve as recruitment or research opportunities.

Training sessions are set for the week of Sept. 23. For more information, complete the interest form available online or contact Smith at 575-3641. The deadline is Sept. 20.

There are several options for participants that range from a commitment to teach in a local school three times during a semester to up to eight times during a school year.

Joel Freund said he wanted to participate in the program last year because he thought it sounded like fun, and it was. He teaches psychology and the class he adopted was a science class, which turned out to be a good fit.

“They were studying the brain and I took a human brain into the classroom,” he said. “We talked about what goes on in the brain. They thought that was neat.”