Aspiring teachers visited the Jefferson Davis County Board of Supervisors in May to report on a pilot service learning initiative called Teens as Teachers.

The initiative is between the MSU Extension 4-H and the career center’s Education Prep program and is under the direction of instructor Lila Broom.

The program started during the 2023 school year, and it is the only pilot program in the state.

Teens as Teachers is an opportunity for teams of three to five to learn how to be teachers and become subject matter experts of a topic of their choice.

They are then empowered to deliver programming to their community.

The high school students enrolled in 4-H receive 4-H leadership skills training and mentorship in order to plan, teach and evaluate STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) learning sessions to 4-H members ages 5-13 years old during after school club meetings.

Students complete six learning sessions each year with 4-H’ers. The students can earn up to 15 hours of teaching time per year, 4-H graduation regalia, letters of recommendation and a small stipend.  The program has been a rewarding experience for the students and the 4-H program according to MSU Extension Agent Latonya Ramsey-Chandler.

“Because of the program, students have gained confidence in public speaking, working with younger kids, comfortableness of working in other volunteer roles in the community, and other life skills,” said Ramsay-Chandler.

“The board of supervisors are great supporters and advocates for MSU Extension initiatives in the community,” she said.