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When Community Calls

UT Tyler Centers Team Up to Offer Specialized Summer Camp

Gunter teaching students in reading portion of camp Every year, area schools reach out to the UT Tyler College of Education and Psychology for assistance to strengthen instruction and/or to improve student achievement outcomes. One unique request came from a rural East Texas school district earlier this spring, and the college rose to the occasion.

Overton Independent School District officials met with college dean Dr. Wesley Hickey, Dr. Kouider Mokhtari, Anderson-Vukelja-Wright Endowed Professor and K-16 Literacy Center director, and Dr. Michael Odell, Roosth Endowed Chair and professor of STEM education, to discuss summer programming for certain primary student populations within the district.

In collaboration with the UT Tyler Ingenuity Center, K-16 Literacy Center and Discovery Science Place, the team created a specialized academic summer camp for Overton students in Grades 3-5. During the month of June, the camp focused on literacy and STEM education and was led by UT Tyler students who are pre-service teachers enrolled in the university’s UTeach STEM teacher preparation program.

Duhon teaching stem to students at camp “It’s important that we engage in service and outreach that benefit our university, our district partners and the East Texas communities at large,” Hickey said. “These types of endeavors are certainly “win-win” situations for the school districts that come to us for help, as well as for UT Tyler and the School of Education.”

The reading portion of the camp focused on academic vocabulary and reading comprehension, while a science portion covered areas such as the solar system, life cycles, measurements and fractions. The Discovery Science Place also provided temporary use of their mobile STEM activity and Science Safari vehicles, as well as a portable planetarium.

The camp not only strived to improve achievement outcomes of student participants in Overton, but it also provided an opportunity for UT Tyler students to gain even more classroom experience and improve upon their teaching skills.

Read on to learn more about two UT Tyler students who taught Overton campers.

Bobbi Duhon Gives Back to Her Community

Duhon An Overton resident, Bobbi Duhon jumped at the opportunity to serve her own community while gaining experience that would benefit her future career as a science teacher. She was a substitute teacher at Overton ISD in previous school years and knew the district was “warm and inviting” – and one that really cares for their students.

She found that same caring and committed atmosphere as a student herself in the UT Tyler School of Education.

“The professors at UT Tyler prepare future teachers by showing them what to expect as a teacher working with students from Day 1,” said Duhon, who will earn a Bachelor of Science in interdisciplinary studies with 4-8 Science teaching certification in December. “They are encouraging and with you every step of the way.”

A nontraditional student, Duhon plans to become a middle school science teacher at a small East Texas school district upon graduation. She enjoys gardening, cooking, and spending time with her family and their dogs.

Jacie Gunter Thankful for Opportunity to Serve

Gunter UT Tyler junior Jacie Gunter discovered caring faculty who she would like to emulate one day as a secondary teacher and coach. The Gladewater native believes the School of Education has been helpful along her educational journey at the university, and she appreciated the valuable opportunity afforded her to help Overton students with their reading skills.

“I’ve gained so much knowledge and experience that has only been opened to me by being a part of the School of Education – it’s been a privilege working with lead teacher Christy Turner, the other pre-service teachers and Dr. Mokhtari,” said Gunter, a history major minoring in education and social studies. “UT Tyler also offers an array of classes for me to get a really broad reach as far as what I’m learning."

Gunter will graduate in 2022 from UT Tyler and ultimately plans to incorporate her love of travel into her future career and teach in a third-world country school.

A self-proclaimed history buff, Gunter enjoys staying active, reading and learning. She also appreciates museums and historical movies.

Learn more about the K-16 Literacy Center, Ingenuity Center and Discovery Science Place.

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