Perkins College 2008 National Summit

Were you apart of the beginning?

The summit was held on March 28, 2008, in the Grand Ballroom of the Baker Pattillo Student Center on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University, located in Nacogdoches, Texas. The entire summit was broadcasted live on the Internet, and marked the beginning of a national dialogue on education rural settings, where 45 percent of the U.S. schoolchildren learn learn and grow, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

The free national summit was hosted by a leader in preparing educators – the James I. Perkins College of Education at Stephen F. Austin State University.

During the summit, the Perkins college brought U.S. attention to rural education, defined unique needs of children and families living in rural areas, highlighted rural successes that may be applied to urban/suburban settings, examined local, state, and national policies related to rural education, and explored solutions to challenges of education in rural settings.

The summit featured guest speakers and panelists from the White House, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and many more.

In attendance were education policymakers, lawmakers, district-level administrators and school board members, building-level administrators, teachers and other school personnel, college and university faculty, and others interested in rural education.

The conversation continues...

Interactive discussions regarding rural education will be hosted to document the critical needs for future research and additional government policies to advance education in rural settings.

Please send all inquiries to: summit@sfasu.edu.