Learning in real life. At Calvin, that's how we approach every aspect of a secondary education major.

You will start with a strong foundation in educational theory. Then, in no time, you can enter classrooms of all kinds—large, small, urban, rural, private, public. This real-world experience will prepare you to be a confident, creative educator who engages your students wholeheartedly.

The secondary education program offers two grade-band options: 5th–9th grade and 7th–12th grade.  You can earn either band independently to specialize in middle or high school, or combine them to cover the full range of secondary years.

Students pursuing a secondary education major may choose to specialize in English, Math, Science, or Social Studies. Subject areas can also be combined, giving you flexibility to teach the content areas and age groups that best match your interests.

At Calvin, you will learn from a team of professors with vast expertise and experience in the field of teaching. With their help, you will learn to think creatively, communicate effectively and solve problems independently.

Calvin partners with local schools to provide you numerous field experiences, allowing you to put theories into practice and feel confident as you embark on your journey of inspiring young minds. As a Calvin graduate, you will be equipped with the tools and knowledge to transform lives in and out of the classroom.

Project GreenER is a free, eight-session adult educational program intended to foster understanding of and build agency for watershed care. Hosted by Plaster Creek Stewards, this program equips participants with the knowledge and practical skills to implement creek- and climate-friendly projects within their communities. Meeting twice monthly, participants explore Plaster Creek as a historical and present place, learn watershed ecology within the context of climate resilience, build practical and community connection skills, and be eligible to receive funding to plan and implement green projects in their own neighborhoods. 

Who can participate?

Any adults (18+) who are connected in some way to the Plaster Creek watershed – such as living, working, attending worship, or recreating in the area.

You're qualified!

Yes! No prior knowledge or education is necessary to participate in this program. If you are interested in learning more about Plaster Creek, your watershed neighbors, and how to improve local environmental health through community-based action, then this opportunity may be a good fit for you. 

What’s required of participants?

Commitment to regular attendance of the sessions and seeing the project work through to completion.

Timeline

Learning sessions will be scheduled out over 4 months, every other week, typically on weekday evenings. The first half hour of each meeting will be dedicated to building community over a meal. Participants will also be invited to attend extra hands-on experiences outside of normal meeting times, as opportunities arise and participants’ schedules allow. Additional assignments between classes will be offered, as well, to deepen engagement and allow participants to follow their own curiosities.

Logistics

Cost

There is currently no charge for this program. However, if participants would like to contribute to the project fund, those contributions (in addition to grant funding available) will be divided equally among all participants at the program's end to support their projects. The projects might include things like rain gardens, landscaping with native plants, planting trees, hosting educational events, or other activities that interest participants.

Transportation assistance

If transportation assistance is required, please communicate with leadership to receive bus passes for transportation to and from sessions.

Meeting locations

We intend for this program to be an in-person experience since so much of our ecological restoration work and community engagement efforts are place-based and hands-on. Meetings will be held at one or both of the following locations:

• Garfield Park Neighborhood Association
• Bunker Interpretive Center

For this segment of the training, you will receive one contact hour of credit. When combined with the live session in January, you will receive three contact hours. This one-hour segment includes completing two readings, watching one video, and participating in a discussion forum after each reading and video (a total of three discussion forum posts).

After completing this one hour online course and the two-hour live training (total of three hours), you will be able to:

• Reflect on current implicit bias research and strategies to reduce disparities in health care.
• Describe how cultural norms, language, and experiences shape our individual knowledge and decision-making.
• Describe the neuroscience of implicit bias.
• Identify several forms of bias.
• Interpret the relationship between implicit bias and disparate access to and delivery of health care services.
• Explain a process to mitigate implicit bias in delivery of health care services.

Available for cohort-based registration – contact Abbie Lipsker, abbie.lipsker@calvin.edu with questions.

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The Van Lunen Fellows program is designed for the heads of Christian schools who have been in their positions for at least one year and report directly to the governing board of their schools.

If you’re going to shape the world with your art, you need a university where you'll hone your creative voice and master your craft.

That university is Calvin.

Calvin's BFA program will stretch you in ways you never expected, and prepare you for careers you never imagined. In a supportive, tight-knit community, you'll build a portfolio that highlights your work. You'll forge relationships with experienced Christian faculty who want you to succeed. You'll take advanced art courses and get personal guidance from your professors.

You'll cap all this with an exhibition that showcases your best work. You'll step into the world with a career-making portfolio and confidence in your creative skills.

Take the Lead in a Fast-Moving Career

Calvin’s Master of Arts in Media and Strategic Communication (MMSC) program is designed for current and aspiring leaders in the advertising, public relations and journalism field—strategists, managers, marketers, and professional communicators—who want to grow in existing and seize new career opportunities. You won’t just keep pace with the media landscape—you’ll gain the strategic expertise to shape it. The MMSC program provides the high-level competencies required to lead organizations, drive communication strategy, and master the opportunities and challenges presented by emerging developments like AI, social media, and more.