PROGRAMS

Three Pathways.
One Mission.

Three licensure pathways, three partner universities, and one shared residency that prepares excellent teachers for Winston-Salem’s highest-need schools.

WINSTON-SALEM TEACH

More than coursework

At Winston-Salem TEACH, we believe preparing great teachers requires more than coursework. It requires meaningful classroom experience, strong connections to the community, and a deep understanding of the students and schools our teachers will serve.

Through a unique partnership among three local institutions of higher education, Winston-Salem TEACH offers three pathways to teacher licensure. Each institution brings its own expertise to preparing educators, while our shared programming brings residents together around one mission: ensuring every child in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools has access to an excellent, well-prepared teacher.

Watch: the program, in our residents’ own experience.

Licensure pathways to choose from

Partner universities in one program

Months of coursework in the residency

Clinical teaching internships in WS/FCS schools

LICENSURE PATHWAYS

Explore Our Three
Licensure Pathways

Each pathway leads to a Master’s degree and a North Carolina teaching license, completed through the partner university that leads it.

Grades K–6

Elementary Education

SALEM COLLEGE

Led by Salem College, our Elementary Education pathway prepares residents to teach across the elementary grades, building strong foundations in literacy, mathematics, and other core subjects while developing the skills to create engaging, inclusive classrooms.

Grades K–12

Special Education

WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY

Led by Winston-Salem State University, our Special Education pathway prepares residents to meet the diverse learning needs of students with disabilities, emphasizing individualized instruction, inclusive practices, and collaboration with families and school communities.

Grades 9–12

Secondary Education

WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY

Led by Wake Forest University’s Master Teacher Fellows program, our Secondary Education pathway prepares residents to teach in a specific academic content area, combining advanced subject knowledge with effective instructional practices for high school classrooms.

ACROSS INSTITUTIONS

Learning Together Across Institutions

While residents complete their licensure coursework through their respective universities, they come together every two weeks for a cross-institutional Winston-Salem TEACH seminar.

These seminars connect residents across grade levels, subject areas, and institutions to explore the opportunities and challenges of teaching in high-need WS/FCS schools.

By learning alongside residents from other licensure areas, our future teachers gain a broader perspective on the students, families, and school communities they will serve.

SEMINAR TOPICS INCLUDE

Building relationships with students and families
Trauma-informed teaching and student well-being
Differentiated instruction and inclusive practices
Culturally-responsive teaching
Formative and summative assessment practices
Using student data to inform instruction
Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)
Supporting multilingual learners
Positive classroom management and student engagement
Supporting students with disabilities and diverse learning needs
Values-led teacher leadership
Family and community engagement
Teacher well-being, resilience, and sustainability

COMMUNITY-BASED LEARNING

Our City Is Our Classroom

We believe that to teach in a community, you must first understand it.

That’s why Winston-Salem TEACH takes learning beyond university classrooms and into the city itself.

Through our community-based approach, residents explore Winston-Salem’s rich history, diverse neighborhoods, cultural traditions, and the people and institutions that have shaped the city. They examine how the city’s history of innovation and opportunity intersects with longstanding challenges related to race, economic mobility, housing, and educational access.

Residents learn directly from community leaders, local organizations, families, and educators, gaining perspectives that cannot be found in a textbook alone.

From the city’s historic neighborhoods to its schools, museums, businesses, and community organizations, Winston-Salem becomes an extension of the classroom.
These experiences help residents better understand the communities in which their students live, recognize the strengths and assets students bring to school, and build relationships that extend beyond classroom walls.

Watch: learning from the city itself.

From the Program

Volunteering at Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC

Exploring the city’s rich history and cultural heritage during a Triad Cultural Arts bus tour.

Visiting the Verizon Innovative Learning Lab at Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy

Seminar at Forest Park Elementary School

OUR GOAL

Our goal is not simply to prepare teachers who work in Winston-Salem. It is to prepare teachers who understand Winston-Salem, feel connected to its communities, and are committed to helping its children thrive.

Three Pathways.One Mission.