Temple University’s College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) will host the Youth in Education Summit Philadelphia on Thursday, Oct. 30, welcoming approximately 250 high school students from across the city who are interested in becoming future educators.
The Summit is part of the Philadelphia Citywide Talent Coalition (PCTC) and is supported by Temple’s Pennsylvania Department of Education Educator Workforce grant. The grant is managed by the CEHD’s Center for Reimagining Excellence, Access and Transformation in Education (CREATE), directed by Juliet Curci, assistant dean of college access and persistence.
“Philadelphia will host the city’s first summit dedicated to young people who want to become educators,” said Curci. “This is a celebration!”
“The Summit will give high school students the chance to feel energized from being in community with their peers and affirmed by city and school leaders. We want them to leave knowing that they are wanted and needed in this profession, and that they have the tools, resources and support to guide them on their journey.”
Students attending are enrolled in teacher pathway programs in high schools across Philadelphia. The event will serve as a mini conference, offering students opportunities to network with peers, explore teaching as a career pathway and strengthen the city’s educator pipeline—with a particular focus on increasing diversity in the teaching profession.
Curci noted that Temple University has long been a leader in building accessible pathways into the education profession, particularly for people of color. She highlighted that collaborations with partners such as Elevate 215 and the PCTC have helped cultivate the conditions needed to recruit and retain educators. “The Youth in Education Summit is one example of how the K-12, higher education, non-profit and government sectors have come together to increase the number of Philadelphians entering the teaching profession,” she said.
Coordinated through Elevate 215, the PCTC was formed to create a unified strategy for recruiting, retaining and developing a more diverse and high-quality teacher workforce in Philadelphia. Serving as the organizational backbone and facilitator of the PCTC, Elevate 215 unites schools, higher education institutes and community partners to prepare future educators by modernizing the learning experience in Philadelphia schools.
Penny Nixon, superintendent of schools for Universal Education Companies, and Michael Farrel, chief learning officer for the School District of Philadelphia, shared the following statement on behalf of the Philadelphia Citywide Talent Coalition: “The young people joining us at the Philadelphia Youth in Education Summit represent the future of our schools and our city. Their passion for teaching reminds us why we must continue investing in programs that nurture and guide aspiring educators. These high school pathways are not only preparing the next generation of teachers—they are cultivating young leaders who believe in the power of education to transform lives and strengthen communities across Philadelphia.”
The PCTC is committed to investing in schools and talent, collaborating with partners, expanding access and resources for families, and advocating to create the conditions for success.
The Youth Education Summit Philadelphia reflects the CEHD’s mission to educate, support and prepare learners and leaders to advance equitable systems and practices in schools and communities. Through this event, the CEHD continues its long-standing commitment to preparing educators to excel in their profession and uplift the communities they serve.
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Philadelphia Citywide Talent Coalition
The Philadelphia Citywide Talent Coalition is a group composed of representatives from 50 organizations from across a diverse range of sectors—education, nonprofit, civic, research and philanthropy—to collectively work on implementing strategies from a citywide talent plan to increase the diversity and effectiveness of Philadelphia’s teachers. Elevate 215 serves as the organizational backbone and convener of the Coalition.
Elevate 215
Elevate 215 is working to build a citywide portfolio of quality schools that deliver excellent outcomes for students across Philadelphia. Our goal is to add 50 more quality schools—impacting 30,000 additional students—through three key strategies: building capacity by strengthening evidence-based practices that drive student success; growing, expanding and replicating schools that demonstrate strong results; and creating innovative new schools that reimagine what’s possible for Philadelphia’s students.