Strong connections between schools, school systems and communities enhance student experiences. But how do we create and strengthen those connections?
Community educators can help. Community educators are the professionals and volunteers who assist with instruction, adding capacity and infusing new insights to support student learning. These community members enrich learning environments by forging authentic relationships, sharing expertise and expanding student and school connections in their communities.
Teachers are essential In every educational environment, and asking them to be all things, to all learners, at all times is challenging. They don’t need to do it all alone. Families and community members are needed to support children’s learning and, with the right training, their support can make a difference in the success of many students.
That’s why we developed the Community Educator Learning Hub – a tool offered with no direct cost for Arizona educators through the end of the 2025 school year – to support these community members. Community educators work as part of educator teams where they leverage their time, knowledge and skills to complement the work of professional educators. They can now turn to this award-winning catalog of short, interactive nanocourses to access training designed to help them more effectively engage learners.
Each nanocourse takes approximately 15 minutes to complete and is designed to help caring adults help children learn, with actionable steps to apply immediately. Designed by Arizona State University faculty and nationally recognized, community-based organizations, these 130 (and counting) nanocourses range in focus from the science of reading, math in the modern classroom, learning through play, industry in the classroom and many more topics relevant for supporting learners. The Community Educator Learning Hub is a curated collection of courses based on roles (e.g. high impact tutors, project-based mentors, literacy accelerators, etc.). With such a variety of nanocourses, the Learning Hub can bring value to the entire education ecosystem and is already being used by schools and organizations across the country as a trusted training resource. Register for an account to start exploring the Hub.
The platform is built to answer a need for scalable training, through which schools, school systems and organizations can offer on-demand training and track learners’ progress. The Community Educator Learning Hub offers paid subscriptions to help support the costs associated with maintaining and expanding access to high-quality learning resources. However, thanks to a partnership between the Arizona Department of Education and Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College the Community Educator Learning Hub is available to Arizonans at no direct cost through the 2024–25 school year.
Frequently asked questions
What is the time commitment for the nanocourses?
The courses are designed as microlearning experiences, with each course taking approximately 15 minutes for a learner to complete. We made each course short so that community members and parents with a lot on their plate can learn strategies quickly and immediately put them into action to support learners.
Who is the Community Educator Learning Hub for?
The Community Educator Learning Hub was created to help caring adults gain the techniques necessary to effectively support learners. There are nanocourses that will help volunteers, parents, industry experts, tutors, teaching artists, classified staff and many other caring adults in a learning environment.
- School and school systems: Quickly prep volunteers, classified staff and others to be maximally effective with learners, saving school leaders and teachers valuable time.
- Community organizations: Utilize training resources to deploy tutors and others to academically support students.
- Industry partners: Prepare employees for meaningful, engaging work with students, reducing barriers to engagement with schools.
- Universities programs: Supplement course content and job training for college students with strategies to put into action as they work with young learners in their communities.
- Families: Effectively support learning at home with actionable strategies in math, reading and other subjects.
How can I start learning on the Community Educator Learning Hub?
Go to asucommunityeducators.org and register for an account today to start enrolling in nanocourses. If you have a question, email our tech support team: mlftctechops@asu.edu
Will users receive a certificate of completion?
When a user finishes a nanocourse or a bundle of courses, they receive a certificate of completion on their account dashboard. This certificate can be downloaded or emailed from the platform.
No-cost webinar series to support community engagement
Beginning this month, the Community Educator team will host a series of webinars at no cost for schools and school systems, community organizations and industry partners working with community educators. Are you planning a summer camp or program? You are invited to learn more about how technology can complement your contextual training and prepare your community educators to work with children, support positive behaviors and manage large groups. Join us virtually in May for the Community Educator Learning Hub Summer Camp Webinar:
- Who is it for? Arizona community-based organization administrators
- What is the time commitment? 30 minutes
- What is the format? Virtual via Zoom
- What is the cost? Free
Learn more
To learn more about the Community Educator Learning Hub, contact Korbi Adams, senior program manager with the Next Education Workforce team at korbi.adams@asu.edu.
