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CU Denver’s NxtGEN Teacher Residency Program celebrated a landmark 10^th year on Sept. 25, 2024, with a celebratory dinner reception and reunion honoring the “NxtGEN Familia”: alumni, current students, faculty, teacher education leaders, and school district partners. The trail-blazing program is a leader in Colorado’s teacher education landscape by providing an innovative four-year undergraduate teacher residency and degree that empowers talented and diverse future educators. The program has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as one of eight programs in the country that exemplifies quality teacher preparation, addresses the teacher shortage, and diversifies the teacher workforce.

NxtGEN’s vision became a reality thanks to the visionary work of Dr. Barbara Seidl, Dr. Cindy Gutierrez, Dr. Shannon Hagerman, countless teacher education faculty and staff, and collaborators in Denver Public Schools. The initiative was propelled by a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education in 2004.

NxtGEN students are hired into paid, part-time paraeducator intern positions in public schools during their freshman though junior years. They transition into full-time paid teacher residencies during their senior year. All the while, they receive academic supports and mentoring from Arianne Rivera and her team in SEHD’s Student Success Center along with developing a deep sense of community with their peers. To date, 121 NxtGEN participants have graduated from CU Denver and joined the teaching ranks. In addition, the program has expanded beyond Denver Public Schools to also include St. Vrain Valley School District and to bring critical elements of the model to rural school districts in CU Denver’s Partnership for Rural Educator Preparation (T-PREP).

Arianne Rivera welcomed audience members and set the stage for the evening. She spoke about the impact that NxtGEN graduates are having on society. “If you think about the classrooms that our graduates are in, the students in those classrooms, the families of all of those learners, and the extended families of all of those learners, and the school staff and community neighbors and partners that they get to work with, the NxtGEN program has a radiating impact that’s quite beautiful,” she said. “Of those graduates, 55 percent are first generation college students, 74 percent are BIPOC students, and 52 percent of them are multilingual.”

Dr. Barbara Seidl, associate dean for teacher education and undergraduate experiences at CU Denver, spoke next about the “original family” that dreamed up and prepared the NxtGEN grant. “It took a whole village of people to get NxtGEN off the ground,” she said. “It took partners, faculty, staff, students, teachers, supervisors, and school principals investing in us. That is why we were able to be successful.”

Paula Gallegos, the first director of NxtGEN, came to the podium next, thanking recruiters and others who were instrumental to the program’s growth. “This has been a great experience,” she said. “I'm just ecstatic that 10 years later we still have a really strong program,” she said.

Dr. Tania Hogan came to the stage to discuss the importance of relationships in the program. She was recruited from her teaching position in Denver Public Schools to co-lead NxtGEN and establish the Student Success Center as the program grew. She also joined SEHD’s EdD doctoral program as a student. “When I go into DPS schools, I love running into the NxtGEN alumni teaching, popping into their classrooms, saying hi or keeping in touch with them, and hearing the stories of what everybody is doing, and how they are involved, and what they are advocating for,” she said. “That's my favorite part.”

A panel of “NxtGEN Familia” spoke next to the audience: current students Lizbeth Garcia-Diaz, Nicole Salinas, Aaron Valle; alumni members Luz Moreno and Amanda Salvatore; mentor teacher and NxtGEN alum Laisa Gallegos; and faculty member Chris Carson. The panel was moderated by Dr. Cindy Gutierrez. They discussed how the NxtGEN Familia changed their life and career trajectory. For instance, midway through the program one of the students became a mom. While she was at home with her baby, two faculty members called to encourage her to continue earning her college degree. “I'm so thankful they did,” she said.

Dr. Jody Tucker, associate director of teacher education at CU Denver and current NxtGEN leader spoke next about how NxtGEN has informed the future of teacher education. “NxtGEN students are our best change agents,” she said. “You are our best leaders. You are our future administrators, principals, superintendents, policy makers, and legislators. This program was started to remove institutional barriers and to help support students who have been historically marginalized. Not only is that happening, but you are reshaping the future of what education looks like.”

Arianne Rivera closed out the evening by saying: “The NxtGEN program at its core is about relationships and connections. It is dedicated to really moving some of the most phenomenal people I have ever met. It brings the most brilliant educators into the classrooms who will benefit generations and generations of students. So, thank you for being here tonight.”