Future and Experienced Educators Meet During Annual Symposium

Morgantown, W.Va. — More than a dozen members of the West Virginia Milken Educator Network will meet with 100 high school students representing 20 schools in Morgantown on April 7-8, 2025, for the West Virginia Grow Your Own and Milken Educators Symposium. This is an opportunity for future educators to network, learn and share with some of the profession’s most distinguished teachers.
 
The symposium will feature collaborative sessions designed to introduce and prepare students for their future careers as educators. Working alongside experienced and highly effective Milken Educators and West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) staff, students will explore issues and learn strategies for success. Mentor and peer networking opportunities throughout the day will establish lines of communication that extend beyond the symposium.
 
The WVDE Grow Your Own Pathway to Teaching program is designed to address West Virginia’s critical need for teachers. It provides high school students a pathway to a career in education with reduced cost and time. Participants earn college credit while in high school, develop skills and professional experiences before entering college, and may graduate with a bachelor’s degree after only two years on a college campus. Currently, 476 students in the state participate in the Grow Your Own program.
 
“For our state to remain competitive, we need certified and experienced teachers in our classrooms to build the future for the Mountain State,” said State Superintendent of Schools Michele L. Blatt. “Our Grow Your Own students are extraordinary young people who are taking important steps now to be the effective educators of tomorrow. I am proud of the work they are doing and the important role our Milken Educators are playing in developing generations of teachers.”
 
The West Virginia Milken Educator Network is comprised of Milken Educator Award winners from around the state who can provide expert advice, awareness and promotion of various issues within the education industry. Across the Mountain State, 80 educators have received this prestigious national award. Nitro High School Math Teacher Adam Wolfe is the latest to be named a Milken Award winner (2024).

High schools participating in the symposium include:

 
The symposium will be held at the Marriott at Waterfront Place in Morgantown and begins with registration/lunch at 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. The opening session starts at 12:30 p.m.
 
Pictures from the event will be available on the WVDE’s Flickr account.