To open the 2025-26 academic year, senior intern teachers in the School of Education participated in a Community Scavenger Hunt. Teams of interns explored the neighborhoods of their partner schools to locate resource and places of interest to better get to know the students and families they will be teaching.
Wearing their Stevenson green SOE t-shirts, each team brought along a stuffed apple, taking selfies with the apple at each spot. The locations they discovered were kid and family friendly places like parks, playgrounds, rec centers, and libraries, as well as nearby hospital or healthcare facilities and emergency services such as the fire department and law enforcement. They toured the different types of residential housing in the area, and looked for school bus stops, bike lanes, and other forms of public transportation. They took selfies in front of grocery stores and restaurants, and anything unique to the area. They also briefly interviewed members of the community they met along the way.
Teams presented their photos at a professional learning workshop on August 26. They shared the places they visited, the strengths and resources they observed, and how these strengths might support students and families at their schools. The community scavenger hunt, along with a written reflection, is the first task interns will complete as part of the Teacher Readiness Performance Assessment, which will include other contextual factors about their school communities viewed through an “asset-framing” lens.
Ms. Danielle Newill, Senior Coordinator of Education Placements and Partnerships, remarks, “We are pleased to place thirty-four Senior Interns in twelve partner schools spanning five counties throughout Maryland as they begin their final internship in preparation for completing the education program. We are excited for this milestone and look forward to watching our interns develop lasting relationships with their school mentors and our partner schools.”
(Pictured, top to bottom: Mechanicsville ES, Hernwood ES, Sparks ES, Deer Park ES, Carrolltowne ES, Ridgeway ES, Ring Factory ES, Sudbrook MS, Timber Grove ES, Cedarmere ES)