November 2021
THE COLLEGE INSIDER
NEWS ABOUT FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENTS OF
THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
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UPCOMING IN THE COLLEGE
AAPLAC Conference 2022 
The College of Education through the Deans Office is hosting the 33rd Annual Conference “Cultural Awareness and Social Justice” organized by the Association of Academic Programs in Latin America and Caribbean (AAPLAC). This conference is a hybrid model that offers presentations, discussions, and a cultural excursion. More details here.
Opportunities for students, staff and faculty will be promoted soon to participate in the organizing committee. For more information, please contact Drs. Nadia Alvarez Mexia and Iliana Reyes
Support Project FOCUS
Over the past 10 years, Project FOCUS has helped 88 students with disabilities to access inclusve college classes (in-person, hybrid, and online), increase employability skills, and develop social networks. We are thrilled to have 32 peer mentors and 15 students on campus this school year! To get involved and help support Project FOCUS for years to come, visit projectfocus.arizona.edu.
ICYMI
Mexican Consulate in Tucson and Deans Office
Consul of Mexico in Tucson, Rafael Barceló Durazo, visited the College of Education to discuss potential educational and community collaborations for students, faculty and staff. During his visit, Consul Barceló had the opportunity to learn about different CoE initiatives and projects. He also visited the Community and Resources in Early Childhood Teacher Education (CREATE) and Worlds of Words (WOW) Library. 
Dia de los Muertos in the Community
Our Community of Practice for our Early Childhood project hosted a hybrid Dia de los Muertos event with students at La Estrella bakery. This tradition brings together graduate and undergraduate ECE students each year, and we were thrilled to be back in person!
Publications
From Dr. Bruce Johnson

Bruce Johnson and his colleagues in Czech Republic have recently published a series of journal articles that resulted from an environmental learning project over the last four years.

Johnson, B. & Činčera, J. (2021). Relationships between outdoor environmental education program characteristics and children’s environmental values and behaviors. Journal of Adventure Education & Outdoor Learning. doi: 10.1080/14729679.2021.2001756.

Činčera, J., Zalesaka, J., Kolenaty, M., Simonova, P., & Johnson, B. (2021). Loving it anyway: When teachers’ aims don’t match environmental education program aims. Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education. doi: 10.1007/s42322-021-00084-9.

Činčera, J., Johnson, B. & Kroufek, R. (2020). Outdoor environmental program leaders’ theories of experiential learning. Cambridge Journal of Education. doi: 10.1080/0305764X.2020.1770693.

Činčera, J., Simonova, P., Kroufek, R., & Johnson, B. (2020). Empowerment in outdoor environmental education: Who shapes the programs? Environmental Education Research. doi: 10.1080/13504622.2020.1814205.

Činčera, J., Johnson, B., Kroufek, R., Kolenaty, M., & Simonova, P. (2020). Frames in outdoor environmental education programs: What we communicate and why we think it matters. Sustainability, 12, 4451; doi: 10.3390/su12114451.

Činčera, J., Johnson, B., Kroufek, R., & Simonova, P. (2020). Values education in outdoor environmental education programs from the perspective of practitioners. Sustainability, 12, 4700; doi: 10.3390/su12114700.
From Dr. Renae Mayes

Dr. Mayes recently published an article titled “I stayed just above the cusp so I was left alone”: Black girls experiences with school counselors. Abstract: The school counselor has a unique role to maximize student success. Although the role of a school counselor has transformed into a defined position to support the success of all students, few studies have explored how contemporary school counselors support Black girls during high school. The current qualitative study centers the experiential knowledge of Black girls to highlight Black girls’ perceptions of and experiences with professional school counselors to better equip educational professionals with the knowledge required to support Black girls. We find that most Black girls report few interactions with school counselors and little support. In turn, they must cultivate their own resources. The findings support the need to explore more intentional and systemic school counseling activities that meet the academic, socioemotional, and career development needs of Black girls. Read the article here.
CONGRATULATIONS
Sara Mae Williams Elected to Board of Directors for the National Indian Education Association

Sara Mae Williams just started her senior year in the Indigenous Teacher Education Project where she will be completing her Elementary Education degree at and looking forward to teaching on the Tohono O'odham Nation once she finishes.
Headshot of Mary Carol Combs
Mary Carol Combs Appointed Dean's Fellow for Education Policy
Dr. Mary Carol Combs has just been appointed as Dean’s Fellow for Education Policy which means that she will serve as Director of the College’s Education Policy Center and will help us all consider our roles in taking up education policy. Congratulations, Mary Carol!
Celebrating Our Emeritus Faculty!
We received news that upon retirement at the end of this semester, Elizabeth Jaeger, Etta Kralovec, and Perry Gilmore will each gain the title of Emeritus Faculty! We will miss each of you when you go, but this title means we are still connected! Stay tuned for information about their retirement celebration in January.