CENTER TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Going to an education conference as a teacher in a small school can sometimes be difficult.
“Many districts outside of Beaver County can send teachers to national conferences, state level conferences that cost a lot of money. Our districts are very conservative about that and try to just put the money back into the schools, so therefore, our teachers just don’t have that experience,” said Michelle McKinley, Director of Curriculum Services with the Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit. “So, we decided to bring that experience to the teachers.
So, that’s exactly what the BVIU and other sponsors did. For the last two years, Beaver County EdFest has been held at CCBC as a way to network — and celebrate what they do on a day-to-day basis — teaching the next generation.
“I hope that it’s inspirational, and I hope that it gives them a moment to just pause and think about ‘why did I get into teaching, and why is that so important,’” said Carol Sprinker, Executive Director of The Wright Promise.
Organizers also hope it helps teachers who might be feeling burned out.
According to this year’s RAND State of the American Teacher Survey, 57% of public-school teachers in the U.S. report feeling burned out. That’s nearly 20% higher than other similar working adults.
Eighteen percent of teachers who responded to that nationwide survey said they plan to leave their jobs by the end of the year.
Channel 11 spoke with two teachers in Beaver County who attended EdFest the last two years and said this event helps re-energize them.
“I think that it’s just a great way to reset and really think about what you’ve been doing, what you can change, and the positive additions you can add to your classroom, and how you can just really bring a fresh take on what you learned at the event,” said Danielle Kramer, a Central Valley High School English Teacher.
“It’s just a fun day to rejuvenate yourself in October when you might be a couple weeks in and getting a little tired, but this day sort of rejuvenates you for the rest of the school year,” added Lindsay McCracken, another Central Valley High School English Teacher.
Organizers said the next EdFest will be sometime in 2028.
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