Armstrong State University’s College of Education recently launched a new Child and Family Studies training initiative with The Savannah Country Day School, a program that is the first of its type in the region.
 
This exclusive initiative will allow Armstrong’s students who are completing the Child and Family Studies non-certification program to work with SCDS faculty and have classroom access as well as on-site experience at the Lower School.
 
“Students in this program learn how societal, economic and cultural differences affect children and their families,” notes Dr. Janet Buckenmeyer, dean of Armstrong’s College of Education. “These students want to serve and support community efforts to better family life and plan to work in pre-school centers, after-school programs and other church and community organizations. We hope that this is just beginning of a mutually beneficial relationship with Savannah Country Day School. They have been extremely supportive and helpful with this initiative.”
 
In addition, this collaborative effort will also allow SCDS faculty to take professional development classes at Armstrong. The first of these professional development sessions took place in December 2015, when Dr. John Hobe, professor and department head of Armstrong’s Childhood and Exceptional Student Education, met with SCDS Lower School teachers.
 
“This experience has proved to be a mutually beneficial partnership that has showcased the best aspects of educational collaboration,” says Annemarie Shuman, head of SCDS’s Lower School. “Armstrong students have provided a valuable resource in our classrooms and our own faculty has greatly benefited from the resource of on-campus professional development. More importantly, our students have thrived from the two educational institutions working together to shape an exceptional learning experience.”

Armstrong currently has four students interning at SCDS this semester and six students placed for fall 2016.
 
U.S. News & World Report recently ranked Armstrong one of the top universities in Georgia and #53 in the nation on the 2016 list of the Best Online Graduate Education Programs.
 
Armstrong’s College of Education offers a variety of in-person and online opportunities including B.S. degree programs in Early Childhood Education, Health and Physical Education, Middle Grades Education and Secondary Education. The college also offers Master of Education degree programs in Early Childhood Education, Curriculum and Instruction, Reading Specialist Education, Adult Education and Special Education. Additionally, Master of Arts in Teaching degree programs with initial certification in Early Childhood Education, Special Education and Secondary Education are also available.