Sean Cummings, a sophomore at Jennings High School, wants to be a teacher after he graduates from high school.

“Ever since I was a child, I knew I wanted to be an educator,” Cummings said. ”My biggest influencer on becoming an educator is my Mom.”

As a child, Cummings said he would play school and pretend to be a teacher.

Cummings is among nine Jennings High School students currently enrolled in a pilot program to inspire and encourage future generations of educators.

Educators Rising, or EdRising for short, is a special curriculum designed to help students learn about and explore possible career opportunities in education while still in high school.

“Being in the program has helped me understand the values and principles of education,” Cummings said. “It has shown me there is more to being an educator than I initially realized.”

Cummings said he is extremely grateful to have the opportunity to participate in the pilot program.

“It has completely changed my outlook on education and encouraged me even more to pursue a career in education,” he said.

Classmate Adeline Oustalet is also preparing for a future career in education which is part of a family tradition.

“When this school year began Ms. Jackson, our high school counselor, asked us if we would be interested in taking a course designed for potential future educators,” Oustalet said. “Needless to say we were thrilled. …Most of my family members have devoted their lives to the field of education, so I had an idea of the basics.”

“When I was a little girl, I’d always be with my Dad at work running around and talking to everyone,” she continued. “On the weekends I would always play teacher and yell at my little brother to be my student even though he wanted to be the principal.”

Jeff Davis Parish School Superintendent John Hall said the hope is that students enrolled in the program remain interested in a career in education after high school graduation and hopefully return back to the parish as educators.

“This is a way for us to grow our own educators, which is something the state has asked us to do,” Hall said.

Assistant Superintendent Ben Oustalet said in choosing education as a career, the students are helping to change lives and address a teacher shortage.

“The number one benefit is exposure, the more we can expose our kids in our parish to the positive jobs in the school system, the more likely we are to get people to come back home and want to work,” Ben Outstalet said. “It’s not just teaching, they are learning about every day facets of the school system and we need great people in all those roles to make a great system.”

Curriculum Supervisor Danielle Simien also said the program is a way to inspire a new generation of educators and help fill the state’s teacher shortage.

“The Louisiana Preeducator Pathway and the Educators Rising course is an option for our university and Jumpstart graduates in an effort to address the teacher shortage in Louisiana,” Simien said.” It’s a grow your own initiative that focuses on career development while students are in high school, preparing them to be Louisiana educators.”

During the year, the students are introduced to the fundamental teaching practices that are critical in becoming an accomplished professional in the field of education, Simien said.

“Students have the opportunity to earn micro-credentials associated with the pre-educator pathway,” she said. “Those micro-credentials will articulate to education classes toward their teaching degree at McNeese State University – Education 203 and Education 204, so they are earning dual credit.”

Jennings High School Counselor Chery LeBlanc leads the students.

“My passion has always been teaching, helping students and for future educators,” LeBlanc said.

During the year the students teach lessons in the classroom, observe teachers in the classroom, attend educational conferences, decorate their classroom with bulletin boards and learn about careers in education, LeBlanc said.

“We took a visit to the board office to see that education is not just teachers, that it’s made up of everybody and without everybody working together the system doesn’t work,” she said.

The students also designed a logo for sweatshirts to commemorate the first EdRising class.