Program Overview

The Okeechobee County School Board has partnered with BloomBoard to offer select paraprofessionals the opportunity to earn a fully accredited Bachelor’s of Elementary Education degree through a flexible, on-the-job program—paid for by the district—called Emerging Educators!

Through the Emerging Educators program, practicing paraprofessionals will complete 20 skills-based courses (60 credit hours) while working in a classroom. This learn-by-doing program is designed for current associate level degree paraprofessionals with regular access to students. Participants will be required to create artifacts from their classroom practice and upload them to the BloomBoard platform for assessment. Participants will earn college credit for successful completion of courses, which can lead to a fully-accredited Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, and ultimately teacher licensure in Florida.

The program is accredited by Lake Erie College and can be completed in 2 years at no-cost for paraprofessionals working within Okeechobee County School District.

Schedule an Appointment to Learn More

Schedule an appointment with Okeechobee Human Resources to learn more about the program including elgibility requirements, application process, and program structure. This is your chance to get all your questions answered about the program.

Schedule Appointment
Integrating technology into teacher education programs

Program Benefits

Hernando County Schools Associate Teacher

Program Supports

online orientation

Orientation

Once you’ve completed enrollment, you’ll be invited to a an orientation course with assigned faculty and other educators in your cohort. The orientation will be one week before the semester begins.

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Support Sessions

During your first semester in the program, assigned faculty will lead weekly, synchronous support sessions. These are optional, but highly encouraged. They will be one hour and the time will be sent to you at the beginning of your first semester in the program.

one-on-one support

1:1 Support

Faculty are available to provide you with personalized 1:1 support during the program.

Asynchronous Discussions

Throughout the program, you can also communicate with other educators in your cohort through the BloomBoard platform.

BloomBoard Overview

Learn more about BloomBoard’s on-the-job learning model and what teachers have to say about it.

What Educators Are Saying

The Bloomboard program helped me streamline resources. As teachers, we gained a plethora of knowledge to facilitate remote learning in a short amount of time. The program encourages us to look at students’ needs and use tools that meet their needs to be able to foster synchronous and asynchronous learning.
Christine Jackson

2nd grade teacher, Lincoln Elementary, IL

The program has reassured me that I am on target with some of my established practices to create a conducive learning environment for my students and has allowed me to finetune others. I also can set my own pace and apply the learning experiences directly to my practice. It is an authentic learning experience that benefits my students, their families, and myself as an educator. In being a “learn by doing” kind of person, the content allows me to demonstrate competency within my classroom context.
Carita Sampson

2nd Grade Teacher, Thurgood Marshall Elementary, IL

Learn more about the Emerging Educators U Program

Complete the form below or call 1-863-462-5000 ext. 1028