Capital University, Columbus schools team up for teacher program

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A new program at Capital University is working to address an ongoing issue by giving central Ohioans a unique pathway to becoming a teacher.

The Capital City Resident Educator Program would allow those with some college credits, no credits and even recent Columbus City School graduates the opportunity to work toward their certification while maintaining a paid position within the district.

The program launches this fall and works to ensure people from all walks of life have an opportunity to secure a teaching license.

The program creators said students with some or no university credits can participate and would first complete two years at nearby Columbus State University and then transfer to Capital while working at CCS.

Another path, for those with an associate or bachelor's degree, would complete two years of education at Capital while also working in the district.

The final opportunity is for those soon-to-be CCS graduates. The Columbus Promise program allows them to study at Columbus State for two years free of charge and they would then transfer to Capital while also having the chance to work a paid position.

This collaboration allows students the chance to work, learn, and build new careers while addressing a major issue within the state's largest district – staffing.

“I'm seeing those 17 or 18-year-olds that are at Columbus State already and ready to transfer over,” Nisreen Daoud, an assistant professor at Capital University, said. “We are also seeing 50, 60, 70-year-olds saying I have wanted to do this forever and I just never found a program that would allow me to do this.”

The program is set to welcome the first cohort in the fall.

For more information on the program, click here.