Future Educators Association (Educators Rising)
The Future Educators Association at UCF Orlando provides resources to help teacher candidates understand the teaching profession and become connected with other future teachers.
Our Goals
Educators Rising goals are to promote the teaching profession, provide students with resources to help them understand the profession and help students be connected with other future teachers.
Our Mission
Educators Rising provides personal growth opportunities through leadership opportunities, community involvement, support, and educator partnerships.
The Educators Rising organization has existed under several names and has been sponsored by several organizations over the course of its history. The National Education Association founded the Future Teachers of America in 1937 to inspire young people to consider careers in education. In the mid-1980s, the organization’s name changed to Future Educators of America. In 1994, PDK International provided FEA with permanent headquarters, and in 2005, PDK changed the name to Future Educators Association to more accurately reflect the international nature of the organization. Throughout its existence, more than 10 national education organizations have supported FEA, including:
- AACTE, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
- ATE, the Association of Teacher Educators
- NASSP, the National Association of Secondary School Principals
Even before it sponsored FEA, PDK was actively involved in helping students earn education degrees through its support of numerous scholarship opportunities, including endowed scholarships, PDK chapter-based scholarships, and the Prospective Educator Scholarship program. Now, through its sponsorship of FEA, PDK is even more directly involved. Although FEA has had many homes during its rich history, its purpose has remained the same. FEA is focused on exposing students to the rewards, joys, and challenges of careers in education. FEA has been renamed and is now known as the Educators Rising organization.
Membership
Congratulations for considering membership in the Future Educators Association at UCF. Membership provides opportunities to learn more about the teaching profession and an opportunity to serve in a leadership role. Expect to make a positive difference for yourself and your colleagues in the professional education community.
FEA@UCF membership on a professional resume is an indicator to employers that the teacher candidate was serious about their pre-professional experience. FEA@UCF leaders can also expect to earn letters of recommendation that demonstrate to employers a high level of commitment to the profession.
The National Organization
Membership in the FEA@UCF includes national and state membership. The mission the Future Educators Association includes benefits to students, teachers, schools, and communities in a number of ways. FEA units provide an effective and dynamic way to:
- attract exemplary future educators and begin averting teacher shortages at a local level, particularly within the areas of math, science, and special education
- encourage students from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds to enter the education profession
- elevate the image of teaching and promote it as a challenging and rewarding career
- enhance and facilitate school and college/university relationships; and improve student achievement by focusing on the cognitive and pedagogical underpinnings of academic performance
Student Awards
Each year the UCF College of Community Innovation and Education, the UCF SGA, Phi Delta Kappa and the Future Educators Association award scholarships to prospective teacher candidates.
UCF Scholarships
The College offers academic year assistantships and fellowships as a means for financial assistance.
UCF SGA
SGA has your financial future covered! Every fall the SGA Scholarship committee meets to create new and diversified scholarships which are then released and available for all UCF students to apply for.
PDK Prospective Educators Scholarship
The PDK Educational Foundation awards more than 30 scholarships each year to prospective educators who have a connection to PDK through membership in FEA or by having a family member or teacher who is a PDK member.
Events
Member Meetings
- Leadership meetings are for the purpose of maintaining and improving the association.
- Member meetings are for the purpose of conducting association business
and planning of events, such as the Majors Fair, Educators Rising Conferences (local, state and national),
and the Service-Learning Showcase. - Officers and Committee Chairs make this a commitment, however all members are welcome.
Leadership
Officers are expected to represent the standards of UCF academic integrity and abide by the Golden Rule Student Handbook. Additionally, they are expected to be full-time students (fall & spring semesters), maintain a 3.0 GPA and demonstrate the pre-professional decorum expected by the teaching profession.
Interested in being more involved with Educators Rising? You can become a Committee Chair or serve on one of our committees. Our current committees are membership, leadership, awards, communication, and events. If you are interested in one of these positions or being on a committee, please email Amanda Sedaros (President).
Connect with Us
Get the most up-to-date information about educatorsrising@ucforlando by liking our Facebook page.
Have questions about FEA?
Email fea@ucf.edu