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Institute Newsletter for January 29, 2026

Institute Newsletter for January 29, 2026

Dear Colleague:

We’re halfway through January, already – can you believe it?

Here at the Institute, the spring visit season has already begun. Between now and June, SUNY will conduct approximately 15 school evaluation visits, five first-year visits, and 16 pre-K program visits – as well as more than a dozen conversations with school leadership teams and boards. We’re excited for the opportunity to be back on the ground in your schools to see your program in action.

We also know it’s a time for reflection on your school’s goals and initiatives for the year ahead. In that spirit, we wanted to share information about several partnership and support opportunities that we’ve become aware of. Of course, we share these only as informational items. If you’re interested in learning more about any of the below, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Institute:

    • SUNY campus partnerships: SUNY is home to 62 college and university campuses throughout the state. We know that some of you have established formal partnerships with your local campus on early college credit, teacher certification, etc., and that many more of you may be thinking about higher education partnerships and wondering what is possible and where to start. We are happy to make an introduction to your local campus – just email us at [email protected].
    • The Center of Science of Reading at SUNY New Paltz: The Center offers a library of resources for educators seeking to successfully implement the Science of Reading (SoR) into their curriculum, including webinars and a microcredential course on the Fundamentals of SoR. We’ve included more information below in the Update section.
    • Timbuctoo Climate Science and Careers Summer Institute / ESF Newcomb Campus: The Timbuctoo Institute at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry offers a unique two-week interdisciplinary summer program for high school sophomores and juniors from systemically marginalized communities. Each intensive two-week session focuses on environmental and social justice issues considered through the lens of climate science. Participation in the Institute is fully funded, including all meals, housing, and transportation costs. In addition, each participant who successfully completes the program will receive a $1,280 stipend ($640/week). The application period opens March 1, 2026. Reach out to the Timbuctoo Institute directly at [email protected] for more information or to set up an informational meeting. The ESF Newcomb Campus also hosts public high schools for custom designed unique educational experiences and experiential programming. If this may be of interest, email [email protected].
  • The Aspiring Teachers Program at New Leaders: New Leaders, a national education nonprofit, has partnered with St. Francis College on the Aspiring Teachers Accelerator, a competency-based teacher preparation and certification program designed to support paraprofessionals, underqualified teachers, and career changers to enter full-time teaching roles at the elementary school level. The flexible, fully online pathway provides educators with the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree and teacher certification in Childhood Education (Grades 1-6) and Teaching Students with Disabilities and includes partial funding to support enrollment through a grant from the Buck Foundation. The program includes student teaching experience, mentorship and support, and the chance to earn credit for prior experience and coursework to move faster toward completion. Applications for the Spring cohort are due February 9, 2026, so reach out to New Leaders today through their website.

We will be continuing to identify new potential supports, so please stay tuned to this newsletter or reach out to us to at [email protected] to talk through your challenges or needs.

Kathryn