PCC’s Educator Preparation Institute
Leads the State in the Number of Grads

03/17/2009: Polk Community College, in partnership with the Polk County School District, is helping Polk County meet its need for teachers. PCC’s Educator Preparation Institute (EPI) recruits individuals with bachelors' degrees and trains them to be teachers.

Appreciation for the high caliber EPI program is spreading rapidly in Polk County. During 2008-2009, PCC’s EPI enrollment soared to 360 participants, making it Florida’s largest EPI program. With 128 graduates, PCC’s EPI program also has the most graduates in the state. 

PCC EPI Director Beverly Woolery credits her staff with this achievement. “The EPI staff and instructors are dedicated to producing the highest quality teachers in the state. The EPI program is user friendly and is designed to give teachers the tools they need to become highly effective teachers in the classroom as well as create a love of teaching,” Woolery said.

“Because of the good reputation that PCC’s EPI has earned, most of our new students are referred to us by EPI participants or the Polk School District,” she added.

EPI’s accelerated program features a combination of face-to-face Saturday classes and Internet courses that in eight months prepare individuals for teacher certification and employment in the Polk County schools.

PCC’s EPI program has also taken the lead in the state and become a model to others by including 120 hours of ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages), Reading Endorsement Competency 2, Kagan Cooperative Learning training, and many other innovative ideas. 

For more information about the EPI program, contact Beverly Woolery at 863-292-3642 or bwoolery@polk.edu.