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Choosing your major and your place of residence at BGSU will be two of the most important decisions you make at the start of your college career. If you want to become a great teacher and make a difference in the schools that need your help the most, then Partners in Context & Community (PCC) may be the place for you.
PCC is an innovative program in Kohl Hall for education majors. The PCC Residential Learning Community provides a friendly and supportive home in which to live and study. PCC students learn to teach by actually teaching and working in high-need urban schools beginning their very first semester at BGSU. Students gain valuable practical experience while developing close ties to faculty, peers, school administrators and teachers.
PCC
- An integral component of Bowling Green's Outstanding Teacher Preparation Program
- A learning community for education majors considering teaching in urban schools
- A program within the School of Teaching and Learning
- College of Education and Human Development
PCC Students Say
"PCC has been such a huge part of my college career here at BGSU. It has opened doors for me in education, given me priceless experiences in the classroom, and the friendships I have formed with other members will last a lifetime."
-Caitlin Blake, Grafton, Ohio
"It's great knowing that all of my friends in the program are also dedicated to achieving the same goal as me: to be the best educators we can. With the awesome support system set in place, ranging from our Professor to our peers, PCC is a wonderful place to learn and grow."
-Dan Daily, Gahanna, Ohio
"PCC gives you the best experience you could ask for! You're not only at a school observing students of all ages you are doing everything a teacher would do! Not only do you get to interact with the students, you are teaching! It not only shows you the true magic teachers do, but you feel that magic that reinforces what you want to do for the rest of your life!"
-Lauren Sandercock, Lewis Center, Ohio
"PCC is a more than just an academic organization. It is a community of support where students gain real life experiences into the educational world and build long-lasting friendships. My PCC friends are like my second family. Joining PCC has been the most rewarding experience I've had at Bowling Green State University."
-Rob Murray, West Chester, Ohio
"PCC is unique because everyone can feel welcome and learn/experience all aspects of the teaching career first hand by teaching lessons and interacting during field experiences and seminar."
-Melissa Verhoff, Kalida, Ohio
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EDUCATERS SAY
"The PCC students bring a fresh, and innovative perspective to the classroom. The students and host teachers welcome their technology skills, the individual attention they offer the students, and the opportunity to exchange ideas amongst one another."
-Becky Schardt, Waite High School, Toledo, Ohio, GEAR UP Coordinator
"Each week PCC students report to a classroom at Birmingham Elementary and spend the day watching and learning current educational practices being utilized by veteran teachers. This weekly visit not only helps BGSU students be better prepared for their profession, but provides an opportunity for Birmingham students to work either in small groups or one-on-one. This extra attention has been a factor in significant student achievement here at Birmingham."
-Barb Guthrie, Principal, Birmingham Elementary, Toledo, Ohio
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THREE SIDES OF THE PCC TRIANGLE
Residential Learning Community
Universities and colleges are finding the benefits of offering students the opportunity to become members of residential learning communities, and Bowling Green State University is a leader in such programs. Through PCC, BGSU’s College of Education and Human Development offers the students the opportunity to “live and learn” in Kohl Hall, a conveniently located residential hall where PCC members live in a supportive environment that encourages students to collaborate on projects and assignments, study together, and reside with other students sharing their interests.
Inside “Kohl,” students enjoy the convenience of a computer lab, conference rooms, study lounges, music and art rooms, and even an equipped kitchen for baking cookies or taking on even more challenging gourmet feats.
Outside “Kohl” students find that they are close to the education building and even closer to the BGSub Shoppe, Commons Dining Hall, and Chily’s, a convenience store which remains open until midnight.
In addition to the facilities, life in a learning community offers the social and academic activities such as museum trips and Mud Hen Baseball outings, movie and pizza nights, and professional connections with Toledo Public Schools.
Toledo Public Schools Field Experience
Ask most PCC students what the primary reason for joining PCC is, and they will tell you it is the chance to begin meaningful work in classrooms from the very start of their college education. This is certainly true, since PCC students are in Toledo Public Schools beginning the third week of the first semester. These field experiences are intended to be more than observations.
Toledo teachers encourage PCC students to participate in tutoring, working with small groups, team teaching and sometimes presenting entire lessons. PCC students’ “introduction to education” takes place at their comfort level, as they volunteer to take on more and more meaningful challenges, working with urban children in Toledo schools. The first semester finds PCC students in elementary schools, but beginning the second semester, students are placed
in assignments aligned with particular areas of licensure. It is easy to see why this is such an important component of PCC, and why every semester PCC students say, “I hate to leave my kids.”
Emphasis on Contextual and Engaging Teaching Methods
Education is not complete until students have learned, and PCC students are reminded that if students are failing, different approaches to teaching could produce better results---all students meeting mandated standards of proficiency. These approaches encourage future teachers to use engaging methods of involving students in the education process. This calls for contextual methods and approaches, and this becomes the basis for PCC sections of education courses and certainly the focus of PCC Tuesday Night Seminars, where PCC students at all levels meet
to share, learn, encourage and support each other, as they strive to become effective teachers. Seminars range from professional presentations by specialists to table activities and discussions calling upon the knowledge and experiences of fellow PCC students.
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PCC FACULITY
Partners in Context and Community Director
Dick Hoffman, Ph.D.
Dick Hoffman comes to PCC after having taught English at Toledo’s Woodward High School for thirty four years. While at Woodward, Dick also served as chairperson for the English department for over twenty years. In addition to teaching high school, he served as a thirty year part-time instructor at BGSU, teaching English composition courses and some sections for the Honors Program. Dick’s careers in Toledo schools and at BGSU now combine, as he serves as the director of PCC. In this position, he works with university students who are preparing to do what he did, teach in challenging and rewarding situations.
As director of PCC, Dick supervises the residential learning community, teaches some of the required education classes, works with the PCC Student Advisory Board, conducts “Tuesday Night PCC Seminars,” and integrates PCC into BGSU’s College of Education and Human Development.
Dick’s experience in urban education and his knowledge of Toledo Public Schools results in valid, beneficial field experience placements for PCC students, and one of the personal benefits of his job is discussing the schools and the field experiences with PCC students.
Graduate Assistant
Vanessa Elola
Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Vanessa received her Bachelor’s of Science in Political Science from Arizona State University (Go Sun Devils!) and completed her Master’s degree in College Student Personnel at BGSU in 2002. She is currently working on the Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration and will serve as the PCC graduate assistant for the 2008-2009 academic year.
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Requirements for Participation
A desire to teach in high poverty urban schools.
Enrollment as a freshman, sophomore or junior student at Bowling Green State University.
Residence in the Kohl Hall for the first year.
Payment of a $275 participation fee per semester to help cover some of the additional costs of the program. This fee has not changed since 2003.
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How to apply
Select Kohl Hall and PCC on the On-Campus Housing Preference Form from Office of Residence Life.
(Online Application of Residence Hall Program)
(Download Residence Hall Program Application Form  )
Submit a PCC application to the PCC office.
Application forms are available from:
Partners in Context and Community
015 Kohl Hall
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH 43403
(419) 372-9185
Fax: (419) 372-9779
Email: pcclc@lists.bgsu.edu
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