Orientations, recruitment, and special events are some of the responsibilities of the brand new Teaching Magnet Ambassadors, a group of leaders chosen by Teaching Magnet Director Ms. Berrios to empower the magnet program with student initiatives.

Purpose

The main goals of the Teaching Magnet Ambassadors are to represent the teaching magnet and to support the teaching magnet director and other magnet teachers, either in the early childhood or secondary strands. As role models, the ambassadors may serve as mentors for the students in the magnet program.

Teaching magnet ambassador and senior Pedro Ramos says this year he created a new recruitment video for the magnet. Junior Barbara Gispert, another ambassador, oversees social media.

“They mostly help with several types of paperwork such as acceptance letters and contracts,” said Ms. Berrios.

The Selection Process

Ms. Berrios has a selection process to choose the top leaders in the magnet. It all starts with an application process around January. Flyers are posted around the school, and magnet teachers advertise it in their classes to recruit students. Students are required to submit an application, resume, a letter of intent, and list of teacher references. Later, they interview with the teaching magnet director. In February, students are selected, and they continue their term through the next school year.

What They Do

The Teaching Magnet Ambassadors have many responsibilities. This year they participated in the banner contest for the annual Homecoming Parade. During the beginning of the school year, they would go to middle schools with Ms. Berrios to recruit students to join Miami High’s Teaching Magnet.

At Miami High, the ambassadors held two open houses in the beginning of the school year to showcase the teaching magnet program and the school. The ambassadors, along with the Legal & Public Affairs magnet program, recently held an orientation for next year’s students where they assisted with the signing in process, contracts, and school tours.

Goals

The ambassadors have many goals for this year and the next. Ms. Berrios wants the teaching magnet to allow students to be successful in the 21st century. Another big goal is to expand as an organization by increasing awareness of the program. They currently have an enrollment of 300 students, but it would be ideal to have 400 students, which would be 100 per class. In the 2018-19 school year, there will be a new early childhood teacher, and the ambassadors will help transition the teacher. Students interested in the program, should see Ms. Berrios in room 3228.