Over 80 ninth through 12th grade students and their advisers from eight area school districts attended the fifth annual Missouri Educators for Tomorrow’s Schools (MoETS) conference Oct. 21 on the Missouri State University-West Plains campus.

The event was hosted by faculty and staff of the Teacher Education Completion Program and Missouri State University Outreach at Missouri State-West Plains.

MoETS is an effort to rebuild future teacher organizations at area school districts. Officials promote the future of the educational profession through communication and cooperation of members, promoting chapter growth, providing annual organizational meetings, and sharing educational activities and projects that connect higher education and the local community, organizers said.

“The theme of this year’s MoETS conference, ‘The Pathway to Rural Missouri Education,’ was chosen to focus on teaching in rural towns,” said Dr. Diana Piccolo, associate professor and elementary education outreach coordinator in the College of Education at Missouri State University in Springfield.

“The conference allows them to come together for a day and gain additional information into a career as a future educator in public schools,” she added.

Students had the opportunity to attend five educational workshops at the conference. All provided students with insight into the different roles of the professional educator, Piccolo said.

For more information about the Teacher Education Completion Program or MoETS, call 417-255-7930.