Jessica Price, a University of Delaware English Education major, accepts the first place gold award in the Delaware Educators Rising Creative Lecture collegiate competition.

Rising stars in education

Article by Jessica Henderson Photos by Ashley Barnas and courtesy of Deandra Taylor March 18, 2025

UD sponsors Delaware education conference for middle school, high school and college students

The University of Delaware College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) was proud to participate in the Delaware Educators Rising education conference for middle school, high school and college students on March 4-5, 2025. Despite the blustery winter weather, more than 200 students from schools across the state attended this year’s event at the Atlantic Sands Hotel and Rehoboth Beach Convention Center in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

The conference, hosted annually by the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) and the Delaware Teacher Academies, supports Delaware public school students interested in becoming teachers by providing professional development and networking opportunities. The event featured remarks from Delaware educators, workshops, instructional presentations, competitions and more for participants.

With a commitment to high-quality teacher preparation and supporting Delaware's children, families and communities, CEHD partners with the DDOE and other universities each year to sponsor the event. This year, CEHD proudly awarded UD scholarships to the top winners of the Children’s Literature varsity competitions.

Demia Moon and Zaniyah Massenburg, high schoolers at St. George’s Technical High School, received UD scholarships after winning the first place gold award in the Children’s Literature pre-K varsity competition. Moon (left) and Massenburg (center) pose for a photo with Deandra Tayor (right), academic program manager in CEHD’s Center for Excellence and Equity in Teacher preparation and the program director for its Teachers of Tomorrow program.

“As a college, we aim to prepare high-quality educators who will make a lasting impact in our communities and help address Delaware’s teacher shortage,” said Jamie Bailey, CEHD recruiter for teacher preparation programs and coordinator of UD’s participation in the event. “Educators Rising helps with this mission by engaging future educators early in their academic journey, fostering their interest in the profession and providing them with resources to succeed. As Delaware continues to face a critical teacher shortage, Educators Rising also helps us connect students with higher education institutions and strengthen the pipeline of well-prepared, diverse and passionate educators.”

Throughout the two-day event, CEHD and College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) faculty and staff shared information about UD teacher preparation programs and served as competition judges and education mentors for participants.

CEHD sponsored the awards in the Children’s Literature pre-K, pre-K Spanish, K-3 and K-3 Spanish varsity competitions for high school students. The top varsity gold winners in each category received a four-year scholarship to UD, and the second and third place winners received the opportunity to enroll in CEHD summer courses.

Georgina Dixon and Katie Hernan, high school students at Smyrna High School, won the first place gold award in the Children’s Literature K-3 varsity competition. They received UD scholarships and qualified to participate in the national Educators Rising competition this June in Orlando, Florida.

“I’m so hyped,” Hernan said. “I really want to go to UD.”

Lucy Baker and Elizabeth Godwin, high schoolers at Sussex Central High School, won the third place gold award in the Children’s Literature pre-K varsity competition. They received the opportunity to enroll in education courses over the summer with other high schoolers in CEHD’s Teachers of Tomorrow program.

It “feels amazing” to win, Godwin said. “I’m excited to become an educator.”

Elizabeth Godwin (left) and Lucy Baker (right), high schoolers at Sussex Central High School, received the opportunity to enroll in UD summer courses after winning the third place gold award in the Children’s Literature pre-K varsity competition.

“It was a pleasure to award UD scholarships to these talented students,” Bailey said. “It’s rewarding to support the high school students in our state and have the opportunity to recruit the best and the brightest into our education pathways.”

Jessica Price, a UD English education major, an Honors College student and a member of UD’s Educators Rising collegiate chapter, won the first place gold award in the Creative Lecture collegiate competition. She will represent UD in the national competition.

"I am so excited to win the top gold award and be able to compete with other students at the national level,” Price said. “Educators Rising is important to me because it cultivates a passion for teaching through practical experiences, professional connections and competitions. It inspires and guides students to become highly-skilled educators."

Becoming a teacher with UD

In addition to supporting events like the Educators Rising conference, UD offers many pathways to becoming a teacher, including innovative degree programs in CEHD and CAS, non-degree certification programs for professionals interested in teaching and extensive hands-on experiences through field placements, teacher and residencies. In fact, the UD Center for Excellence and Equity in Teacher Preparation (CEETP), housed within CEHD, provides support services across 28 undergraduate and graduate programs while partnering with local schools and districts. CEETP also leads initiatives like the Teachers of Tomorrow pipeline program and the Teacher Residency program, which address teacher shortages and prepare students to make a lasting impact in Delaware and beyond.

To learn more about becoming a teacher with UD, visit CEETP’s website.

About Educators Rising

Educators Rising, a national organization with chapters in all 50 states, provides middle school, high school and college students interested in education careers with the opportunity to participate in professional development events, engage in educational competitions and expand their experiences as rising educational professionals. The national organization provides its chapters with classroom resources and the opportunity to attend the national conference where members, teacher leaders and educators showcase the skills they have gained in their education and training programs.

To learn more about the Delaware chapter of Educators Rising or review the event program, visit its website.