Austin Peay State University to host virtual rural education conference

Austin Peay State University is once again hosting a conference on rural education via its Center for Rural Education. The conference is entitled "Innovating the Rural Experience: Growing Student Leaders, Pioneering Teacher Ed Initiatives and Enhancing Community Partnerships,” and will take place virtually on March 19.

According to an article on Austin Peay State University’s website, Dr. Cheryl Lambert, who serves as the coordinator for the Center for Rural Education, was quoted as saying, "While rural schools can face real challenges, they also showcase tremendous strengths. This conference provides a platform to share expertise and reimagine what’s possible to create and maintain thriving rural schools."

The Tennessee Rural Education Association states that half of Tennessee’s school districts are rural. The conference aims to address the ways in which these rural school districts may struggle and instead help them thrive. There are 16 sessions within the conference, each focusing on different ideas, such as AI integration within the classroom, fostering a sense of community within the classroom, outdoor education, hybrid learning, and more.

The conference will bring together educators, policy makers, and students together and give them the opportunity to learn from each other and make rural education in Tennessee better.

Austin Peay State University’s Center for Rural Education is also striving to make rural education better. Since its founding in 2018, it has provided support to rural schools in Tennessee. The center has supplied items like 3D printers and Lego sets to classrooms around the state.

Registration for the conference can be found on the event’s webpage, and tickets are free.

For more information about Austin Peay State University, visit the school’s website.