24 teachers from Liahona High School in Tonga recently completed 10 required courses from Brigham Young University Hawaii to receive their ITEP teaching certificates.
The International Teacher Education Program (ITEP) is a partnership between Brigham Young University Hawaii and the Seminaries and Institutes of Religion of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Couple missionaries who serve in the ITEP program are former educators and are approved adjunct faculty for BYU Hawaii. These couples assist the teachers in completion of their program. They serve throughout the Pacific at the Church’s 14 schools in the countries of Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa and Tonga. These ITEP missionaries are also involved in school leadership teams, professional development, visiting classrooms, assisting with programs and curriculum development.
Completion of this program required much work and sacrifice for the teachers and their families. Along with the 10 courses, teachers were also required to do at least two terms of student teaching. All of these teachers teach full time at Liahona High School. Many of them are parents with children and all serve faithfully in various church callings.
Their goal of obtaining an ITEP teaching certificate sets an example to others and ultimately improves their lives as well as the lives of the students they teach.