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Camas students, teachers describe hands-on Teaching Academy and preschool internship pathway
Summary
Students and staff presented the Camas High School Teaching Academy, Child Development A/B classes and Papermaker Preschool internships at the May 12 district workshop, highlighting college credit, STAR certification, and expanded internship placements.
Students and staff from Camas High School’s Teaching Academy and child development pathway described how classwork and on-site preschool internships give high‑schoolers early teaching experience and college credit at a May 12 Camas School District workshop.
Student speakers said the sequence — Child Development A and B, Papermaker Preschool internships and the Teaching Academy — combines classroom study with sustained time in a licensed preschool and placements in K–12 classrooms. “I was also able to leave that classroom in June with 12 college credits,” Shelby Baldwin, a junior at Camas High School and a Running Start student, told the board. “As a Running Start student, I am now over halfway towards earning my associate’s degree as a junior because of this class.”
Board members and administrators who attended described the program as a long‑running district pathway that prepares students both for careers in education and for parenting. “It’s really important to look at our future teachers, our future leaders,” a board member said, thanking students and staff for the presentation.
What the students described
Students described a progression of experiences: Child Development A/B covers prenatal development through preschool‑age learning, parenting styles, safety and positive guidance; the Papermaker Preschool internship places students in a licensed classroom after they earn a STAR certification from the state; and Teaching Academy places juniors and seniors in internships at elementary and middle schools for multi‑day experiences.
Student accounts in the meeting gave specifics: Baldwin said she spent roughly 80 days in the preschool (about 40 school weeks, two days per week during the term) and left with 12 college credits and the STAR credential that allows work in licensed child‑care facilities. Luca O’Neil, a student intern, described a schedule of prep work plus multiple full‑period days in the preschool during the year and said the internship “lets you know if you really wanna do this.” Delilah Cunningham and Delaney Ogden, both seniors, said the pathway helped them decide to pursue elementary education and special education in college.
Program structure and capacity
Eunice Fuller, the child development instructor, told board members that preschool enrollment runs about 15–18 students in morning and afternoon sessions and that her child development classes cap at 24 students per section. She said the program typically fields two child‑development sections during the same period (24 students total) and that there are currently four to five interns per period, with a total of about 18 interns across offerings. The Teaching Academy enrollment varies year to year; Fuller reported roughly 17 students last year and 10 this year, which she said can allow for smaller, more intensive cohorts.
Fuller and other staff said the district will pilot taking more interns next year — roughly doubling placements to about 24 interns — including placements at The Heights to broaden experience options.
Post‑secondary and work benefits
Students emphasized the pathway’s immediate benefits: college credits that accelerate post‑secondary progress; STAR certification that enables paid work in licensed facilities; and the chance to earn experience that reduces the initial shock of college‑level teacher preparation. “Being able to know how to make a lesson plan as a high schooler is kinda nice because then when I go into college, I won’t be as, like, shocked about how much work I have to do,” Delilah Cunningham said.
Staff described work‑based learning tie‑ins, including Community Ed, the Jack Willen Robb Center and local preschool partnerships that can provide credit, stipends and employment for students who complete the pathway.
Context and next steps
Board members encouraged the students and described the program as a recruiting pipeline for future Camas educators. Fuller said the district and program leaders plan to expand internship slots and to continue partnerships that support placements, funding and training for high‑school students.
The workshop moved on to other agenda items after the presentation.
