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“Beginning teachers are now expected to possess one or more of these endorsement or to obtain them early in their careers. Integrating these endorsement programs into our rigorous licensure sequence gives our students a significant edge in becoming effective lifelong educators,” Associate Professor and Chair of Education Desmond Odugu said.

Current Lake Forest College teacher candidates are now able to complete one or more of the new endorsements by adding one extra course to their course plan. 

“We expect that pursuing these endorsements will become a default choice for the majority, if not all, licensure candidates. In the past several years, prospective students have indicated strong interest in seeking these endorsements in addition to their primary licensure,” he added. 

The LBS1/SPED course will be offered in a three-week J-term, January 4–26, 2021; ESL/BLE will be offered in spring 2021. For alumni and students who have completed fieldwork, an additional accelerated summer course will be required.

“With the addition of these three endorsement programs, the education department at Lake Forest College is taking a bold step in the right direction to deepen and expand the scope of teacher education, with a correspondingly robust licensure and endorsement options for lifelong success as transformative educators,” Odugu said.

Alumni who are interested in obtaining additional endorsements in any of these areas should contact Department of Education assistant Adrienne Thoms.