Mount Marty University to Host Educators Rising Learning Expo

Mount Marty University will host the Educators Rising Learning Expo on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Educators Rising is an organization whose goal is to combat the teacher shortage by inspiring youth to consider the teaching profession and uplifting aspiring and current educators to be community leaders and advocates for education. Students attending this event are eligible to receive up to $2,000 per year in scholarships if they choose to attend Mount Marty.

The expo, themed "Inspired to Teach. Prepared to Serve," is designed for students interested in a teaching career. Attendees will participate in breakout sessions provided by teacher-education candidates on mental health (brain breaks), the power of a solid introduction, invented strategies before standard algorithms, and promoting servant leadership as learners and teachers. There will also be opportunities to ask questions at a student-teacher panel and listen to keynote speeches by current Mount Marty students.

This event will also offer Educators Rising participants an opportunity to practice their competition skills for the Educators Rising state competition while on campus. The students will prepare lesson plans, create bulletin boards and give presentations, and the Mount Marty students will provide feedback.

Instructor of Teacher Education Jamie Van Winkle said, "Educators Rising reminds us that teaching is a calling. At Mount Marty University, we celebrate students who are inspired to teach, and we prepare them to serve with purpose, compassion and confidence. Educators Rising gives us an opportunity to showcase our incredible education students to high school and even middle school students who are interested in becoming teachers."

"We are excited to host the fourth annual Educators Rising Learning Expo at Mount Marty, where high school students will get to interact with our current education students and decide if a career in teaching is the right path for them," Vice President for Enrollment Management Greg Franz said. "With a significant shortage in teachers in South Dakota, we want to promote teacher education to a large audience of young people in a fun, informative way."

A continental breakfast, lunch and an optional campus tour will be provided. Interested students and student advisors can register here. To learn more about Mount Marty's elementary education, secondary education and special education degrees, visit mountmarty.edu.

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About Mount Marty University

Founded in 1936 by the Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery, Mount Marty University is South Dakota's only Catholic, Benedictine institution of higher education. Located along the bluffs of the Missouri River in Yankton, with additional locations in Watertown and Sioux Falls, Mount Marty offers undergraduate and graduate degrees focusing on student and alumni success in high-demand fields such as health sciences, education, criminal justice, business, accounting, recreation management, and more. A community of learners in the Benedictine tradition, Mount Marty emphasizes academic excellence and develops well-rounded students with intellectual competence, professional and personal skills and moral, spiritual and social values. To learn more, visit mountmarty.edu.