SLU's Billiken Teacher Corps Expands to Meet Growing Demand and to Increase Teacher Pipeline
Since 2015, the Billiken Teacher Corps (BTC) at Saint Louis University has been educating teachers in the Catholic, Jesuit tradition.
The BTC Mission is to form the next generation of Catholic school educators through an academically excellent, spiritually-guided, service-learning community. The program has partnered with over 20 Catholic schools in the St. Louis region. After this May’s commencement, over fifty teachers will have graduated from the program with their Master of Arts in Teaching with alternative certification, and they continue teaching or leading in schools today.
Over the past year, BTC Director Angela Moret, Ed.D., received several requests from principals for Billiken Teacher Corps teachers, and she also noticed an increase in inquiries from prospective students interested in the Master of Arts in Teaching degree. “It was a win-win,” she says. “If educators, maybe those already working as paraprofessionals or classroom aides in Catholic schools, would like to take the next step in their career, we can support them through that. If career changers are passionate about teaching kids, a content area, and sharing their faith, we can help them bridge that transition to the classroom.”
This was an opportunity for the program to expand to offer the MAT with certification to more educators. One of the hallmarks of the Billiken Teacher Corps is the intentional faith community in which the recent college graduates live. While this is an incredible support and attracts many young people to the program, it is not a reality in which all can participate. The MAT Magis pathway allows aspiring educators to earn the same credentials, with the same support, without the community living component.
For the 2024-2025 school year and beyond, the Billiken Teacher Corps will be offering two pathways for Catholic educators to earn their Master of Arts in Teaching with certification: 1) Billiken Teacher Corps: MAT Magis and 2) Billiken Teacher Corps: Cura Community.
While the Billiken Teacher Corps in its original model continues thriving, we are excited to serve more teachers and more schools, and we hope more individuals who want to make an impact in Catholic education will join us.”
Angela Moret, Ed.D.
Billiken Teacher Corps: MAT Magis
Billiken Teacher Corps: MAT Magis (newly named pathway) is inspired by Magis, the Latin word for “more.” MAT Magis candidates do more for their students as they grow and strengthen their knowledge and support for their students by earning their Master of Arts in Teaching with alternative certification. This new two-year, 37-38-credit-hour program is a flexible option for individuals who are already secondary, middle, or elementary teachers in Catholic schools or who are seeking those positions. MAT Magis is also open to half-time teachers and elementary classroom aides with a bachelor’s degree who would like to attain additional credentials. Unlike Cura Community, MAT Magis is not a residential program. Optional opportunities for spiritual development and community building are available to students in this pathway. Applicants to the MAT Magis program earn an automatic tuition discount when employed by a Catholic school at the start of coursework and throughout the program. MAT Magis students can begin coursework in the summer, fall, or spring semester. For this two-year program, classes are taken over the course of two summers and one evening each week during the school year.
Billiken Teacher Corps: Cura Community
The Billiken Teacher Corps: Cura Community (original model) is a program for recent college graduates that focuses on holistic support for participants as they begin their careers teaching in Jesuit or underserved Catholic schools. The name Cura Community speaks to the approach of the program, which balances Cura Personalis (care for the whole person) with Cura Apostolica (care for the mission work). The program offers a unique opportunity for participants to live out the Jesuit mission as men and women for and with others, making a transformative impact in their communities. Cura Community members gain two years of full-time teaching experience while earning their Master of Arts in Teaching with full tuition remission. Monthly stipends and low-cost housing are provided as part of this fellowship. Participants live in a supportive, faith-based community with other program members and participate in regular, intentional opportunities for spiritual nourishment such as retreats and community events. Cura Community members collaborate with mentors and a University supervisor to receive real-time feedback and support around instructional strategies and classroom management.
“While the Billiken Teacher Corps in its original model continues thriving, we are excited to serve more teachers and more schools, and we hope more individuals who want to make an impact in Catholic education will join us.” says Moret.
For more information, please explore our website or contact billikenteachercorps@slu.edu.