URI Feinstein College of Education

The colors of summer at the College of Education.

A glitch in his eCampus schedule was the initial reason Harry Lague started spending more time in a second grade classroom at Whiteknacht Elementary in East Providence. Even though he soon realized the error, he continued on, recognizing the value of staying the full day during his practicum experience.

“It really came down to not wanting to miss out on valuable learning opportunities for not just myself but my students,” says the rising senior who is studying elementary education and ended up completing 120 practicum hours during the year.

Leaving after the required four hours each week would have resulted in missing math. “Being there for that allowed for a lot of one-on-one time and really helped me grow as an aspiring teacher,” Harry says.

Do you love your job working with children? Looking to take that to the next level with certification? Earn your Pre K-3 Undergraduate Certificate from URI while you continue to work!

In our Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Accelerated Online Undergraduate Certificate you can:
- Keep your current employment status
- Enroll in affordable and fully-online courses
- Increase skills and on-the-job learning competencies required in early childhood
- Work with, and learn from, professionals in Rhode Island
- Experience flexible internship placement
- Get support to apply for a Pre K-3 teacher certification

The deadline to apply for fall enrollment is August 4!

🔗 Learn more about ECCE certification at https://web.uri.edu/online/programs/certificate/ecce/

Wanting to show up for the students in her third grade classroom was a big reason why Elizabeth Goulart clocked extra practicum hours as a junior this year. “Children need routine and I realized early on that I could not be a part-time participant for the students,” she says. “I knew reaching the minimum of 45 hours was going to be easy the first day I went into the classroom in September. This was my first time in a third grade classroom so I wanted to get as much experience as I could.”

Having the opportunity to participate in a full day in the classroom at Dunn’s Corner Elementary School in Westerly was also important to Elizabeth, including arriving by 8:30 am each Wednesday to take in the start of the day with class’s morning meeting. Staying for the afternoon also enabled her to observe the class’s literacy block.

“The short answer on why it was so easy for me to complete more than 70 hours in the classroom was because I loved it,” says Elizabeth, who is a rising senior majoring in elementary education with a middle school extension so she will also be certified to teach history in middle school. “My cooperating educator, Felicia Bornholm, not only turned into one of my mentors, but also became my friend. She greeted me with compassion and love and I knew immediately we shared an intellectual and emotional bond. I admired her teaching style and determined that her teaching style is similar to the model I intend to follow.”

The students and her cooperating educator made it difficult for Elizabeth to leave her practicum placement when it was over. She is excited to return to participate in a field trip with them this month. “I cannot say enough great things about the Westerly school district, Dunn's Corner Elementary, my third grade students, and especially my Cooperating Educator,” she says. “The support, affection, and encouragement made this teaching experience unforgettable and rewarding.”

📸: Elizabeth with her cooperating educator and her third grade students.

As part of the commencement festivities in May, our Project SUSTAIN program held its own additional celebration to recognize the individuals who graduated from the program this spring. The 14 graduates were part of the federally funded Project SUSTAIN: Supporting Special Education Teachers toward Access & Inclusion Network, which was designed to prepare professionals to earn a URI master’s degree and certification in special education and a graduate certificate in dyslexia knowledge and practice.

In addition to celebrating the students with awards, the event included the graduates recognizing Professor Adam Moore for his work as the program director and principal investigator of the $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Programs for Project SUSTAIN. The students presented him with citations from the mayor of Providence, Brett Smiley; the Rhode Island lieutenant governor, Sabina Matos; and U.S. Senator Jack Reed.

Congratulations to all!

What does it mean to learn leadership in a way that actually transfers?

In URI’s M.A. in Educational Leadership and Policy program, you're not studying leadership in the abstract. You're applying frameworks to real decisions in your real school and bringing those experiences back to a cohort of educators doing the same.

Interested in taking your educational impact to the next level? Join us Wednesday, June 17, at 4 pm via Zoom (bit.ly/URIEDLZOOM) or reach out for more information.

Fall 2026 applications are open with an August 15 deadline. An application fee waiver is available; contact us to learn more.

Kudos to Sarah Mckee, an elementary education major, who completed her practicum in a first grade classroom at Northern Lincoln Elementary School in Lincoln this spring.

“I really love working with the lower grades, and the kids were such a joy to be around,” says Sarah, who completed far more than the required 45 practicum hours. “It really showed me my strengths and weaknesses in the classroom.”

The rising senior really enjoyed the time spent in her practicum. “I worked with my CE a lot and I also worked with the TA and different subs in the classroom,” she says. “They were all super kind and helpful and I genuinely enjoyed the time spent in the classroom with the students.”

Though she only spent half a day on site each week, Sarah “always had a blast working with the kids. I enjoyed my time immensely and loved the classroom I worked in,” she says.

📸: Photos include student drawings from one of the lessons Sarah did with the students.

✏ Theory in Practice: Kathy Peno, professor of adult education, recently published the second edition of a co-edited book, "Mentoring in Formal and Informal Contexts," which addresses a gap in the academic literature by examining mentoring practice in different contexts.

The book highlights practice and research in higher education of both faculty and students, K-12 teacher education (both general and special education), healthcare education and practice, and business.

Organizations and educational institutions can use the book as a guide for developing structured mentoring programs tailored to their specific contexts.

🔗 Read more at https://web.uri.edu/education/meet/kathy-peno/

A shout-out to Alyssa Moffat, a rising senior, for going above and beyond with her practicum hours this past year. Alyssa, an elementary education major with a minor in special populations, clocked nearly 160 hours in a third grade classroom at Metcalf Elementary School in Exeter-West Greenwich.

“I absolutely adored this experience. I had a wonderful CE who really taught me so much,” Alyssa says. “I loved learning from her and her students as well.”

Consistency for the students was a major motivating factor for completing far more than the required 45 practicum hours per semester. Alyssa’s schedule allowed her to take in the full school day and experience all the subjects her students were learning, enabling her to learn more fully the school and classroom dynamics.

“It was really very immersive and beneficial and a crucial part of my journey as a future educator,” notes Alyssa, who was able to work with small groups of students, learn how to interact with other school staff and substitute teachers, and create and teach lessons.

“I looked forward to seeing the kiddos every Monday, and they taught me so much. It was a very special place to be, and I wanted to make the most out of the wonderful community I worked with,” Alyssa says. “My practicum experience couldn’t have gone better, and it really instilled in me a passion for teaching and putting spectacular role models in my life!”

Thank you, Alyssa, for your commitment to the classroom and for taking such full advantage of your practicum experience. Your future students (and future self) will thank you!

Thank you, Rhode Island Environmental Education Association - RIEEA, for highlighting our GEMS-Net program! Since 1995, GEMS-Net has provided ongoing curriculum-based professional learning for science educators through workshops, coaching, and mentoring, as well as district-wide administrator support and strategic planning.

As a certified OpenSciEd Professional Learning Provider, GEMS-Net supports 15 Rhode Island partner school districts in implementing the OpenSciEd curriculum.

Join us on Thursday, June 18, at noon for a virtual Lunch & Learn to discuss the adoption of OpenSciEd. More information and registration available at https://www.rieea.org/member-spotlight-gemsnet/