Indiana State Literacy Association 2020 Conference

As educators in rural communities, watching students struggle with limited knowledge of or access to additional educational resources outside the classroom can be a helpless feeling. Often, teachers attempt to fill in the gaps but lack knowledge or resources on how to help students receive the services they need. In this session, two former co-teachers, now a principal and PhD student-researcher, share how their own experience served as a catalyst for long-term commitment to building educational partnerships for students. Jake and Amy share research on the importance of partnerships in rural communities and suggestions on how educators can become advocates for students both inside and outside the classroom.
In this session, participants are invited to identify and reflect on educational partnerships in their own communities, discuss shared experiences, and strategize ways to cultivate and maintain partnerships as a form of student advocacy.