A Binghamton East Middle School teacher is one of just 63 people chosen for a national Career and Technical Education (CTE) leadership program. Family and Consumer Science (FACS) teacher Kelly Earley has been chosen for the Association of Career and Technical Education’s (ACTE) IAED Mentorship Program. 40 mentees and 23 mentors were selected.
“I’m really excited. I attended a conference in Phoenix in early December and was encouraged to apply, so I did as soon as I got back and then just found out recently that I had been chosen for the program,” Earley said.
The mentorship program selects educators who are focused on IAED (inclusion, access, equity and diversity) initiatives and provides them with training to become leaders at their local, state, or national CTE programs. Earley will be paired with a mentor in the program with whom she will meet and will guide her as she completes a Program of Work centered around IAED principles. As she finishes her second year of a two-year term as President of the NYS Association of Family & Consumer Science Educators (NYSAFCSE), Earley sees this mentorship program as an opportunity to continue learning and leading in her field.
“The goal for me is not just to continue in leadership within my organization (NYSAFCSE), but also bring it back here - Binghamton does a great job with IAED," she said. "I’d also like to better myself and that will be beneficial to my students. If I feel comfortable handling hard conversations and changing the way I do things to make sure everyone feels welcome and included, it’s going to be better for them.”
Over the course of the program, Earley will learn skills that she can then pass on to others. She hopes to share what she learns with fellow educators she interacts with in her professional organizations. But perhaps more importantly, the mentorship program will help her better connect with all her students.
“I think they’ll feel like they belong. I think the relationships will be bigger and they’ll be more meaningful. I think it will open a door for our students, and for our adults too.”