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Educator Academy

Do you love helping others learn and grow? Are you patient, creative, and motivated to lead?

Cultivate foundational skills for a successful career in education. Learn the fundamentals of child development from early childhood through adolescence, and principles of effective teaching through classroom instruction and internships. Work directly with young learners in an educational setting while preparing for work as a paraprofessional or childcare professional, or continue your education to become a certified teacher.

Location: Career Connect Campus

Credentials Earned

  • Gain hands-on experience in K-12 classrooms through internships

Articulated Credit Earned

Pursuing postsecondary education? See how your credits could carry over in Michigan:

Credentials and articulation are dependent on the grade earned in the class and passing credential exams.

Common Jobs and Salaries

What could I do after this class?

  • Childcare Worker: $29,853 (average annual salary) 

What could I do with more formal learning?

  • Preschool Teacher: $36,222 (average annual salary) 
  • School Teacher: $61,633 (average annual salary) 

 

Data provided by Michigan Center for Data and Analytics (MCDA), Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (2025) and Long-Term Occupational Employment Projections (2032), Southwest Michigan Prosperity Region.

Interested in this class? Learn more about the application process and talk with your high school counselor about enrolling.

any text hereKalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency

Meet The Instructors

Johnna Kline

Johnna Kline

Educator Academy Instructor

Lori Smalldon

Lori Smalldon

Educator Academy Instructor

Deanna Kolo

Deanna Kolo

Educator Academy Technical Assistant

Seeing the happiness in a child’s eyes when they learn something new gives me the most amazing feeling in my heart. Being able to work with the few kids who have a disability and seeing their accomplishments has shown me this is exactly where I want to be.

— Anne Marie Stacey, former Educator Academy student

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Three young people are browsing books on a shelf in a library with modern architecture in the background.
Two young women read books in the foreground, while two others study at a table in the background of a classroom.
Four smiling young women stand in a library, holding up children's books, with bookshelves visible in the background.
Four smiling teenagers are gathered around a table covered in colorful craft supplies, with a whiteboard and student artwork visible in the background.
Two young people sit at a table with laptops, with a calendar and a door in the background.
In the foreground, two students are working on a project with cups and paper, while in the background, other students are seated at desks in a classroom.
A group of teenagers are gathered around a table with craft supplies in the foreground, while a classroom with bulletin boards and whiteboards is visible in the background.