FORT WORTH — Tarleton State University Fort Worth hosted the Area 10 Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE) Conference over the weekend welcoming almost 800 middle school, high school and college-age students from across North Texas as well as more than 100 teacher educators and judges for a weekend of competitions and learning.
This was Tarleton State’s third time hosting the event; however, it was the first time the conference was held on the Fort Worth campus and was the largest conference facilitated at this external site since its opening.
“Hosting the Texas Association of Future Educators Conference aligns perfectly with our mission to inspire lifelong learning and leadership,” said Dr. Rachael Capua, Vice President for External Operations and Dean of Tarleton State Fort Worth. “These students represent the future of our classrooms and communities, and we’re proud to support their journey toward making a difference through education.”
This student organization, established in 1984, encourages high school and middle school students to explore careers in education while also giving college-age students the opportunity to grow in their career field. It provides opportunities for leadership development, community service, and participation in competitive events that promote teaching skills and professional growth.
“TAFE empowers students to take what they learn in the classroom and put it into practice through our competitions,” said TAFE State Director Monica Oliver. “Beyond skill-building, we help them envision and shape their future careers. Most importantly, we provide a strong network of mentoring and support, guiding students as they navigate the journey toward becoming educators.”
This conference featured educational sessions and contests designed to help students expand their knowledge about teaching, develop professionalism and present new ideas for expanding the scope of classroom instruction.
“It’s inspiring to see future teachers step forward with such enthusiasm for the profession,” said Dr. Lesley Leach, Dean of the College of Education. “As the education field faces challenges like teacher shortages and burnout, TAFE is helping students see their potential and find multiple routes into education—including those through Tarleton State and other strong teacher preparation programs across Texas.”
Current Tarleton State students participated in the conference along with several faculty from the College of Education. Dr. Anna Fox, Associate Professor and EC-6 Coordinator in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, serves as one of the faculty advisors for Tarleton State’s TAFE chapter and has accompanied students to area, state and national competitions.
“TAFE is an organization that is truly a joy to work with,” said Dr. Fox. “Students lead the organization, and they bring so much energy to everything they do. The Tarleton State faculty within the Department of Curriculum and Instruction welcomed every student to our campus and encouraged them as they learned and participated in rich experiences in the field of teacher preparation.”
Journey Harris, a junior at Tarleton State has competed, won nationally and served as the president of Educators Rising. She was selected as the keynote speaker for the event for the second year in a row.
“After being in TAFE for six years, you would think my excitement for the Area 10 conference would be diminished, but that is far from the truth,” said Harris. “I grow more excited each year! I love to see all of the passion that TAFE creates, and area is really the first event of the year that gets us all back together. It was great to be back in action and even more exciting to do it with the Tarleton State TAFE chapter again!”
Service is a key focus of the event, and each year students engage with a selected philanthropic organization. This year, Area 10 chose to donate food to the Purple Pantry, Tarleton State’s food pantry.
Be the first to comment