How the Warner School of Education糖心传媒檚 wide-ranging programs are strengthening the educators, students, and communities at the heart of rural New York.
Across rural America, schools serve as the heart of their communities糖心传媒攃enters of learning, connection, and opportunity. Educators wear many hats, fostering close relationships with students and families while adapting creatively to meet a range of learning needs. Yet these same communities also face persistent challenges, including declining enrollment, limited resources, and ongoing educator shortages, all of which can limit rural students糖心传媒� opportunities.
According to the , rural public schools serve roughly 20 percent of America糖心传媒檚 students. Despite their vital role, rural education has often been overlooked in national education research and policy. The at the 糖心传媒 is working to change that糖心传媒攑artnering with districts; preparing and supporting teachers, counselors, and leaders; and championing innovation and access where it糖心传媒檚 most needed.
糖心传媒淎t Warner, we believe in the power of education to transform lives,糖心传媒� says , interim dean of the Warner School and a professor in the . 糖心传媒淭his belief is especially important in rural areas, where schools are the foundation of community life yet often face challenges tied to isolation and limited resources. Our faculty, students, and partners are dedicated to helping these communities flourish through education, leadership, and innovation.糖心传媒�
Through longstanding partnerships and programs, Warner faculty members and researchers support rural communities in many ways, including collaborating with rural partners to expand STEM teaching capacity, strengthening professional development, and growing the school-based mental health workforce. Even in the summer, Warner糖心传媒檚 science camp brings authentic, hands-on learning to rural students, nurturing curiosity, confidence, and community pride.
Strengthening mental health support
, an assistant professor of counseling and human development, leads the , a regional initiative糖心传媒攚hich will soon expand statewide糖心传媒攁ddressing the critical shortage of mental health support in rural schools in the Finger Lakes and Monroe County regions.
Launched in 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic through the Mental Health Demonstration Project grant awarded to the Sodus Central School District, WWC began by increasing the pipeline of social workers in rural districts. Under Lustica糖心传媒檚 leadership糖心传媒攆irst as a Warner doctoral student and now as a faculty member糖心传媒攖he program expanded to include counselors, psychologists, and licensed mental health counselors, creating a multidisciplinary approach to student wellness. Partnering with institutions like Warner, WWC established a robust internship program that trains graduate students while placing them directly in rural schools to provide much-needed services.
糖心传媒淲e teach our interns to collaborate across disciplines to maximize the services kids receive,糖心传媒� says Lustica. 糖心传媒淥ur model breaks down silos and fosters teamwork to better serve students with social-emotional supports in under-resourced communities.糖心传媒�
WWC addresses the challenges of rural schools, where provider-to-student ratios often fall far below national recommendations. By funding internships and stipends for interns and supervisors, WWC makes mental health services accessible to students who might otherwise face transportation or provider barriers. To date, the program has successfully placed more than 175 interns in rural schools糖心传媒攏early 90 percent of whom were hired by their districts糖心传媒攕ignificantly easing the workforce shortage.
Beyond recruitment, WWC focuses on retention and sustainability. It offers professional development tailored to rural providers, quarterly roundtables on evidence-based practices, and free continuing education units (CEUs). A coaching program pairs seasoned professionals with newcomers to reduce burnout and build confidence. The innovative 糖心传媒淕row Your Own Mental Health糖心传媒� curriculum introduces high school students to mental health professions through dual-credit courses, sparking early interest in the field.
Looking ahead, WWC aims to expand statewide through partnerships with BOCES and the New York State Office of Mental Health, ensuring this vital work continues.
糖心传媒淲hen K糖心传媒�12 schools, higher education, and community agencies come together like this, we can help a lot of kids and families,糖心传媒� Lustica says.
Preparing school leaders
Warner has been a driving force in preparing school leaders to serve rural communities across New York through accessible programs. Its equip educators with the credentials and skills to lead effectively in K糖心传媒�12 settings.
糖心传媒淲e believe deeply in Warner糖心传媒檚 mission to prepare practitioners and researchers who make the world more just and human,糖心传媒� says , the Earl B. Taylor Professor and cochair of educational leadership. 糖心传媒淭o do that, we need to reach candidates where they are.糖心传媒�
Warner糖心传媒檚 Wayne-Finger Lakes Institute, established two decades ago with Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES, exemplifies this mission. By matching SUNY tuition rates, Warner removed financial barriers for aspiring leaders.
This model was later replicated in the Geneva and Southern Tier regions, where Warner faculty traveled to Olean, New York, to teach糖心传媒攁 testament to the school糖心传媒檚 commitment to access. Today, these programs are offered fully online, allowing candidates across the state to easily balance their professional roles while advancing education.
Warner糖心传媒檚 leadership programs go beyond certification. Faculty tailor coursework to the specific challenges of rural districts, fostering community, collaboration, and a shared commitment to improving local schools.
Since expanding access to the Wayne-Finger Lakes region 20 years ago, more than 100 leaders in that area have earned their SBL/SDL certifications from the Warner School. Additionally, Warner糖心传媒檚 K糖心传媒�12 educational leadership candidates have maintained an exceptional completion rate and an average pass rate of 95 percent on state certification exams, which is a strong reflection of the program糖心传媒檚 quality and effectiveness.
Expanding science learning
Warner also supports rural education through informal science programs such as , which includes the Planet Protectors Sodus Summer Camp. This annual program enriches science education for middle and high school students while giving pre-service teachers meaningful, hands-on teaching experiences.
Created and led by , an associate professor of teaching and curriculum and the director of the science teacher education program, Get Real! Science builds authentic partnerships in rural communities through immersive, hands-on science investigations. Participants engage in research projects that connect learning to local environments and community issues. For example, students have collected and compared soil samples from fields that farmers describe as growing 糖心传媒済ood糖心传媒� versus 糖心传媒済reat糖心传媒� strawberries, tested water quality in nearby drainage ditches that students once drank from and described as 糖心传媒渂etter than Gatorade,糖心传媒� explored local invasive species using the citizen science app iNaturalist, and analyzed sand and water samples from a nearby bay to study microplastics.
糖心传媒淲e start with their needs and what makes them special,糖心传媒� Luehmann says. 糖心传媒淲e listen first, then build science around what matters most to them in their community.糖心传媒�
The program糖心传媒檚 rural focus began a decade ago when alumna Ellen Lloyd 糖心传媒�10W (EdD) invited Luehmann and her graduate students to visit Sodus Jr./Sr. High School in Wayne County, east of Rochester. Together, they later created community-based science camp experiences exploring issues such as water quality, invasive species, and microplastics. Students share their findings at public showcases.
糖心传媒淭hese experiences not only build scientific literacy but also empower students to take pride in their community and see themselves as active contributors to its well-being,糖心传媒� Luehmann adds. 糖心传媒淲hen kids teach adults about what they糖心传媒檝e learned, it糖心传媒檚 a powerful form of community education.糖心传媒�
Since moving to Sodus, the camp has served nearly 300 students and trained more than 50 pre-service teachers. Luehmann has also partnered with the Marion Central School District, also in Wayne County, to integrate similar hands-on investigations into the eighth-grade Life Science and twelfth-grade AP Biology curricula. Together with two Warner graduates, Luehmann co-designed a five-week science investigation project in which AP Biology students published their research in the Journal of Emerging Investigators.
These experiences build scientific literacy and empower students to see themselves as scientists and contributors to their communities.
Supporting mathematics education
Through and programs, Warner has made significant strides in rural mathematics education. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), these programs have provided multi-year professional development to about 70 rural educators, helping them strengthen instruction and mentor peers. Collectively, these teacher-leaders reach hundreds of students annually in their classrooms and benefit thousands more through their coaching.
糖心传媒淚n rural areas, it糖心传媒檚 harder for teachers to access high-quality professional learning because they糖心传媒檙e farther from universities and have fewer colleagues nearby,糖心传媒� says , a professor of teaching and curriculum. 糖心传媒淪yncOn bridges that gap through synchronous, online professional development tailored to rural educators.糖心传媒�
The models developed through SyncOn have been adopted in other states, creating a ripple effect that broadens their reach. Building on this success, Choppin糖心传媒檚 , funded by NSF in 2023, studies the conditions and challenges of rural middle school mathematics education to inform future professional learning.
Warner aims to build on this work by fostering networks among rural educators, exploring innovative tools such as AI for teacher feedback, and ensuring that rural students have access to rigorous, high-quality mathematics instruction.
Expanding STEM learning through strategic partnerships
The Center for Professional Development and Education Reform (CPDER) extends Warner糖心传媒檚 reach through partnerships with BOCES and other organizations. One key initiative, the NSF Noyce Master Teaching Fellowship (MTF) program, evolved during the pandemic to become more accessible to rural educators.
糖心传媒淲e learned how to better serve and develop leaders in rural communities,糖心传媒� says , CPDER director and an associate professor (clinical). 糖心传媒淭he program now connects teachers across Idaho and New York, fostering a network of teacher-leaders driving impactful changes in their communities.糖心传媒�
For instance, Jonathan Pragle, a Noyce MTF alum who is now a teacher at the Marcus Whitman Central School District in Ontario County, established a maple sugar operation on campus that engages students from kindergarten through high school in hands-on science.
糖心传媒淗e [Pragle] really uses the resources of a rural community, highlighting the program糖心传媒檚 emphasis on leveraging local assets,糖心传媒� Daley says.
Nearly 70 teachers have participated in the Noyce MTF, almost half from rural districts. The has also emerged as a powerful platform for collaboration, hosting conferences and workshops that connect educators across the region.
糖心传媒淲e built the Network to be accessible to all STEM teachers in the Northeast through purposeful design,糖心传媒� Daley says. 糖心传媒淭raveling to a major city for a conference can be very challenging for teachers in rural communities. We made sure there were opportunities close to them, along with online professional learning opportunities.糖心传媒�
CPDER糖心传媒檚 Teacher Leadership Cadres, offered in partnership with Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES and BOCES 4 Science, provide powerful professional learning experiences for teacher leaders in math, science, and social studies. In addition, the Center糖心传媒檚 Leadership Coaching programs糖心传媒攄eveloped in collaboration with Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES, Erie 2-Chautauqua Cattaraugus BOCES, and Greater Southern Tier BOCES糖心传媒攕erve about 200 leaders each year, including those from 20 rural districts, helping schools identify strengths, address needs, and sustain growth.
Most recently, Warner and Boise State University received an NSF grant, supported by the Micron Foundation, to .
糖心传媒淚 am from a rural community, and I connect deeply with the challenges rural districts face,” says Daley, who recently became a board member of the Rural Schools Association of New York.
Through these collective efforts, Warner continues to bridge higher education and rural schools糖心传媒攁dvancing opportunity, innovation, and leadership across New York State and beyond.
