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Elementary Education
Ready to make a difference in the classroom? ¿Û¿Û´«Ã½â€™s Elementary Education program prepares you for the State of Illinois Professional Educator’s License, qualifying you to teach grades 1-6. With an embedded ESL endorsement, you’ll also be certified to teach multilingual learners from PreK-12, making you even more valuable to school districts as they serve one of the fastest-growing student groups in Illinois.
From your first year, you’ll gain hands-on classroom experience, with field opportunities that continue throughout your time at ¿Û¿Û´«Ã½. This real-world preparation ensures you’re confident and classroom-ready by graduation. Plus, as an Illinois State Board of Education-accredited program, you can trust you’re receiving high-quality training that meets state and industry standards.
The Department of Education is accredited by the Illinois State Board of Education. It also is a member of the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI).
Experiential Learning
Starting first semester, you’ll gain real-world teaching experience through clinical field experience courses, working directly with students in local schools.
Other opportunities include:
- Job fairs, networking events, and meetings with in-service teachers and administrators, helping you build connections early.
- Join student organizations like the ¿Û¿Û´«Ã½ Student Education Association (BSEA) to network with educators from Peoria, across Illinois, and beyond.
- Work with children at interactive events such as:
- Literacy Around the World – Promoting global stories and reading engagement
- PNC Worldwide Day of Play – Encouraging movement and active learning
- Parade of Flags – Celebrating cultural diversity through education
Program Details
Career Opportunities
¿Û¿Û´«Ã½â€™s elementary education completers and graduates boast a 100% pass rate on Illinois licensure tests, including the national edTPA portfolio evaluation. That success means you can enter the teaching profession or graduate school right after graduation. As an educator, you can consider future graduate studies in curriculum and instruction or other fields.