While many students explored careers through internships, Ashley Anderson, 12, took their passion a step further. As part of a new youth teacher apprenticeship program, Anderson split their time between working in elementary classrooms and completing college coursework, all while getting paid by the district. They were one of the only three students in Kansas participating in the program’s first year.
Anderson’s journey began their sophomore year in an introductory teaching class, followed by junior-year internship where they spent two hours a day in a fourth grade class at Timber Sage Elementary. But this year, their roles looked very different.
“Now I’m not just observing,” Anderson said. “I teach days out of the week, sometimes weeks at a time. When I’m in there, it’s all on me.”
During their first semester as an apprentice, Anderson worked in a kindergarten classroom before transitioning to second grade at Spring Hill Elementary . With guidance from mentor teachers, they created lesson plans, managed classrooms, and led students independently. After each lesson, they received feedback to refine their skills.
“One thing that surprised me most was how helpful it’s been,” Anderson said. “It’s given me so much confidence.”
Alongside their five-hour workdays, Anderson was also a full-time college student and planned to enter college as a junior after graduation, needing only two more years to complete their degree.
Their passion for teaching traced back to their own fourth grade teacher, who helped them find their voice as a shy student. “He made me feel important and heard,” Anderson said. “That’s when I knew I wanted to be that person for someone else.”
For Anderson, the apprenticeship was not just preparation, it was confirmation. “I didn’t even care that teaching doesn’t make a lot of money,” they said. “That was what made me happy.”
