STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Tarleton State University’s College of Education, through its Department of Curriculum and Instruction, hosted some 850 area middle school and high school students Saturday for the Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE) Area 10 Conference.

Students from 52 schools vied in competitions and attended breakout sessions. For the first time, Tarleton curriculum and instruction students competed in the conference as a collegiate organization. Area winners will advance to the TAFE state summit in March, and several will qualify for the national TAFE conference in summer 2024.

Tarleton faculty, staff and curriculum and instruction students facilitated student events and helped with judging.

“It was a pleasure for Tarleton to host future educators for the second year in a row,” said Dr. Kim Rynearson, Dean of the College of Education. “TAFE members are enthusiastic students who are looking ahead to a career educating the children of Texas. We look forward to seeing each of these talented students as educators in Texas K-12 classrooms.”

“As teacher educators, we know that providing opportunities for students to come together and have these experiences is vital,” said Dr. Anna Fox, Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction. “TAFE gives students the chance to gain skills and an understanding of the profession. We think these aspiring students can find their university home at Tarleton State and, by completing our teacher education programs, become highly qualified teachers.”

TAFE (pronounced “taffy”) is a statewide co-curricular organization that enables students to explore opportunities in the teaching profession. The organization was created in 1984 to provide high school and middle school students in Texas the knowledge to make informed career decisions. 

TAFE is sponsored by the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals and is governed by a board of directors composed of teachers, students and principals.

For more information on TAFE and the Area 10 Conference, visit www.tafeonline.org.

A founding member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton State is breaking records — in enrollment, research, scholarship, athletics, philanthropy and engagement — while transforming the lives of nearly 17,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and online. True to Tarleton’s values of excellence, integrity and respect, academic programs emphasize real world learning and address regional, state and national needs.