News Center

Published April 16, 2026

CAPTION: Pictured L-R: Dr. John Pratte, Dean of the ULM College of Arts, Education, and Sciences; Dr. Amy Weems, Associate Professor and Director of Elevate Education; Kevin Smith, Market Executive for Regions Bank; Dr. Myra Lovett, Director of the ULM School of Education; Roxanne Smith, Director of Grants and Scholarships, ULM Foundation  

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MONROE, La. – The University of Louisiana Monroe School of Education held its annual Elevate Education campus visit day for local high school students on April 1, 2026. During the closing ceremony of the event, the Regions Foundation presented a donation of $30,000 to the School of Education to help support the continuing efforts of the Elevate Education program to build a pre-educator pipeline for local high school students interested in becoming educators.  

Throughout the Elevate Education campus visit day, students from 16 local high schools participated in round table discussions and campus tours where they learned more about pursuing education as a career and how ULM equips future educators.  

Now in its 7th year, the Elevate Education program exists to create a pathway for students to pursue careers in education, providing them with the opportunity to learn from ULM faculty, administrators, and alumni before enrolling in college.  

Dr. Amy Weems is an Associate Professor of Education at ULM and the Director of Elevate Education. “We are excited to see the impact of this long-term commitment to growing the educator workforce pipeline,” said Weems. “We are seeing how our high school pre-educators have enrolled in educator preparation programs and are mentoring their classmates. We have had collegiate pre-educators graduate and excel in K12 classrooms as new teachers of the year and even as pre-educator instructors for the next generation of high school pre-educators,” she added.  

Kevin Smith, Market Executive for Regions Bank, spoke to the students in attendance on behalf of the Regions Foundation. “We know that educators are the foundation of building a strong community. Your education matters, and what you put into your education will help guide your future,” said Smith.  

“We are incredibly thankful for the support we have received from Regions Bank over the past five years. Their impact has allowed us to bring our dreams for recruiting, mentoring, and collaborating with pre-educator partners to life. We are excited to now partner with the Regions Foundation to continue investing in the future of the educator workforce and our next generation of students who need the best teachers in their classrooms,” said Weems.   

Elevate Education partner schools include Carroll High School, Neville High School, Wossman High School, Vidalia High School, Delhi High School, Mangham High School, Rayville High School, Ouachita Parish High School, Sterlington High School, West Monroe High School, Franklin Parish High School, Oak Grove High School, Caldwell Parish High School, Bastrop High School, MSA East, Plaquemine High School, North Webster High School, and Lakeside High School.  

Learn more about the ULM School of Education at ulm.edu/education.