Lynchburg College’s (LC) partnership with St. Lucia continues to grow with LC professors providing training this summer to all 120 principals and nearly 900 teachers on this Caribbean island nation.
In June, Dr. Roger Jones associate professor and department chair in educational leadership, and Dr. John Walker, associate professor and department chair in the M.Ed. program in curriculum and instruction, conducted a two-week leadership training program with all 120 principals on the island to improve teacher supervision.
In July, Dr. Jeri Watts, assistant professor of human development and learning, along with colleagues from other institutions, is offering workshops to about 900 teachers on teaching reading.
Also this summer, Dr. Gena Barnhill, assistant professor of special education, provided autism training to 140 teachers and parents, Dr. James Patton, adjunct professor in education, continued training in the area of assessment, and Dr. Steve Nielsen, associate professor in counselor education, taught a course in addiction counseling.
Service learning http://www.lynchburg.edu/x18364.xml remains an important component of the partnership. For the second summer, two dozen LC students were in St. Lucia for a variety of projects that matched their academic interests in education, nursing, and international relations. The program included preschool screening; mentoring and tutoring adolescents; and learning about government and culture.
"We’re really responding to what they have indicated is needed," said Dr. Ed Polloway, dean of graduate studies. "What seems unique to me is that a small school is helping a small country meet its needs."
