Great Falls teacher education open house set for Monday

from Montana State University-Northern

Great Falls College MSU and Montana State University-Northern are hosting an open house Monday, April 4, to support and expand the opportunity for all high school students who are considering becoming a teacher.

The open house is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. at Great Falls College in Room G45/46 as part of the Northern Teachers of Promise Pathways program. 

“The open house is an exciting opportunity for all stakeholders to come together and celebrate this program to help rural communities grow their own educators,” said Leanne Frost, Ed.D., executive director of instruction at Great Falls College.

High school students, parents, teachers, counselors, district administrators, and regional legislators are invited to come and celebrate the program. The program was made possible by House Bill 403, sponsored by Rep. Tyson Running Wolf of Browning.

Gov. Greg Gianforte signed HB 403 into law in 2021, which resulted in grants being awarded by the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education to Blackfeet Community College, Stone Child College and Northern to develop pathways to support students who want to become educators as part of Grow Your Own Educator grants.

Northern is partnering with Great Falls College and Fort Peck Community College with its grant to create the Teachers of Promise Pathways program.

Great Falls College and Northern have a long-standing agreement to support a two-plus-two program that enables students to earn an associate degree at Great Falls College and then transfer into the Northern education program. The TOPP program formalizes a pathway for students to start their education courses while in high school through dual enrollment opportunities.

Students in the program also will have the support of mentor teachers who have expressed an interest in guiding and supporting students who have begun the process of becoming Montana educators.

More information will be available at the April 4 open house.