As the spring 2025 semester came to a close, Meredith’s Education Department hosted several groups of public school students for campus visits.
From fourth graders and middle schoolers learning about college, to high school students focusing on art and early childhood education, Meredith’s education faculty provided focused learning opportunities.
Two groups were middle school students gaining college exposure and enrichment activities, one group was fourth graders visiting a college as part of a state initiative, one group was a high school class studying early childhood education, and the final group was high school art students visiting Meredith’s galleries and art building.
“We try to host any school that requests to come,” said Associate Professor of Education Heather Bower, who serves as department chair. “We believe it’s so important for students of all ages to have exposure to college as early and often as possible. It helps them see possibilities for their future, and we are always happy to introduce them to Meredith as an option for them!”
Exposure to College Opportunities
On April 25, more than 250 eighth graders from Reedy Creek Middle School had a field trip to Meredith.
“Reedy Creek is one of our partner schools, and they reached out to [Meredith’s Field Experience Coordinator] Donna Kocur to see if we might be able to facilitate an eighth grade class trip,” said Bower. “They are a Center for Digital Sciences, so we developed a series of design-based hands-on activities, a campus tour, and a session about life beyond high school for them.”
Five buses full of students arrived for a campus visit that lasted approximately 2.5 hours.
The education department had help from colleagues across campus, Professor of Education Jennifer Olson said.
“Chasity Johnson in Human Enivronmental Sciences, Tina Starling and Emily Lada in Mathematics, Emily Howard in Art, Jennifer McMillan in Nutrition helped, and it was all hands on deck from the Education Department. Teacher education students also assisted with the activities for the eighth graders,” Olson said.
A group of fourth grade students also visited Meredith this spring as a part of a state initiative encouraging campus visits while the groups are in Raleigh for field trips to the state capital.
Visits Focused on Specific Coursework
Other visits this spring were focused on specific educational areas. On April 22, Carolyn Saylor, ’19, a Child Development teacher who is enrolled in Meredith’s M.Ed. for Special Education, brought her Holly Springs High School class to Meredith.
Saylor’s eight students heard from admissions, met with faculty in Human Environmental Sciences and Education, and spent about an hour observing in the Ellen Brewer House.
“These high school students are curious about majors, jobs, and life on campus,” Olson said. “Some have made college and career decisions, and others are still exploring. The highlight of their field trip is having lunch in Belk.”
Olson taught Saylor when she was a family and consumer sciences licensure student. This is the third time Saylor has brought students to Meredith.
“These long-term relationships we nurture with our teacher alumnae allow them to reach out when we have something to offer,” Olson said. “Their students explore the options Meredith has to offer, but mostly this just helps to get the word out about Meredith College.”
Art Focused Campus Visits
Associate Professor of Art Emily Howard coordinated a field trip for a group of 70 English as a Second Language (ESL) students from Martin Middle School.
“Several Art Education, Dance Education, Art Studio, and Graphic Design majors volunteered to help lead the workshops. Some of the senior art majors gave short artist talks about their senior exhibition,” Howard said. “Many of the volunteers who chose to participate had personal or cultural connections to the visiting students—they spoke Spanish at home or had experiences as English learners themselves—and were especially enthusiastic about supporting this event. Their presence helped create a welcoming environment.”
Helping with a campus visit also benefits Meredith’s students.
“Opportunities like this are especially impactful for Meredith students studying education,” Howard said. “Leading a workshop allows them to gain hands-on experience in planning and delivering a lesson, managing time and materials, and engaging with younger students. For many, this kind of immersive experience affirms their passion for teaching and strengthens their confidence that a career in art education is the right path for them.”
A group of high school art students from Franklin Academy also had a field trip to Meredith this fall. They visited the Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition in Johnson Hall, went on a tour of campus and the art department, and participated in a hands-on printmaking workshop.
“I try to highlight the aspects of Meredith and the Art department that make us stand out, and encourage students to think about what type of school they want to go to for college,” Howard said.
The art teacher, Jamie Moore, is an alumna who has brought many of her classes to Meredith over the years.
“She is incredibly supportive of Meredith and the art program, so we have had several students who come to us from Franklin Academy,” Howard said. “They would often cite this field trip as why they came to Meredith.”
These campus visits were all possible with support from faculty and staff from the education department and across campus who all see the value of introducing younger students to Meredith.
“We love working with K-12 students, and we love introducing them to options for their futures,” said Bower.