In an exciting new partnership with the Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling, In4All is providing undergraduate students an opportunity to work side-by-side with teachers and business professionals as they deliver our programming in the classroom. The program enhances In4All staff during the busiest time of year, gives undergraduate students real-world experience, and helps us deliver the best experience in the classroom.

“The In4All model for mobilizing community involves matching the right business and school partners, training volunteers to deliver programming, and being available at all times to support the engagement with students,” said Elaine Charpentier Philippi. “Our partnership with Lewis & Clark enhances our staffing at the time of year we need it most to support teachers, volunteers and students in more than 100 classrooms.”

The pilot program, which started in February, brought four undergraduate students from the Lewis & Clark College of Arts and Sciences into K-12 classrooms. All the students are either enrolled in the school’s Teacher Pathways program or have already taken an education course that includes hands-on classroom experience.

Liza Finkel, a professor of education and the teacher pathways program director at Lewis & Clark, is excited for what this partnership will bring their undergraduate students. “Not only will the undergrads fill In4All’s critical need for seasonal program assistants to deliver excellent programming, they will be gaining invaluable experience in K-12 schools that may ultimately help inform their decision to pursue a career in teaching.”

The undergraduate students are excited for the experience as well. “I was interested in the In4All program because it is a great opportunity to get exposure to different classroom settings and teaching styles,” said Isabel Kuhl, a Lewis & Clark student. “I think this will help me prepare to be an educator in the future, plus it’s a refreshing break from my normal classes.”

In4All trained students to serve as program assistants and assigned them to elementary schools where they ensure the program experiences run smoothly and document student engagement with the curriculum. The undergraduates also get to see, first-hand, what it’s like to be a teacher.

"It was interesting to be in an immersion school where the teacher engaged students mostly in Spanish and the volunteers picked up on that and started asking questions in Spanish,” said Claire C. Bakke, a Lewis & Clark student. “The way they all engaged with the students in the space they are in was cool. It was clear the students were surprised.”

At the end of the school year, we will evaluate the program for a possible second year and will also discuss how this serves as a model for involving more community partners in the In4All mission. Until then, we would like to thank Lewis & Clark for their partnership and the students who have joined us for the school year. Speaking of students, here are our fantastic program assistants:

In4All partners with Lewis & Clark to enhance student experience