BLACK HILLS STATE UNIVERSITY HOLDS ANNUAL TEACHER FAIR

SPEARFISH - Education majors at Black Hills State University were given the opportunity to meet with potential employers during the institution’s annual Teacher Fair on Friday.

Coordinated by Jin Woo Kim, Director of Career Development at BHSU, the fair saw over 64 school districts in attendance from all over the country.

“We have schools coming from Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, Colorado, Nevada, Nebraska—and even one all the way from Bethel, Alaska,” said Kim. “These fairs give districts the opportunity to recruit teachers from elementary to high school – and some are even looking for substitutes.”

While the Teacher Fair has been a staple at BHSU for several decades, this year has seen an increase in attendees, according to Kim, who said about half of the schools are participating in the fair for the first time.

Tanya Seeds, a 1999 BHSU alum, said her district, Converse County School District #1, has been attending the fair for as long as they can remember.

“We missed it last year since it was virtual, but it’s so fun to be back and see people from districts that we’ve seen for years,” Seeds said.

For many students, this is their first opportunity to connect with future employers and see the vast array of education jobs available.

“The Teacher Fair provides students with both opportunity and selection,” Kim said. “It’s really hard to decide what you want to do when there’s so much out there. But the fair centralizes things and puts all these opportunities in front of them so they can compare and contrast.”

“As a future educator I am looking for somewhere where I am almost a missing piece to a puzzle, a good fit,” said Audra Lynam, a BHSU student majoring in English Education. “Being able to see a group of diverse schools and see which schools align with my teaching values is important to me.”

One of the main highlights of the Teacher Fair is a Q&A with school administrators. This session allows students to ask about working in education, hear tips and tricks for landing jobs, and even gain advice about how to approach prospective employers during the fair.

Kim emphasized that while helping upcoming BHSU graduates gain employment is a major goal of the event, the Teacher Fair is a learning experience for all education students, even underclassmen.

“It provides them with the opportunity to network and develop communication skills.”

Students or employers interested in learning more about upcoming career fairs at BHSU can contact Career Development by emailing Careers@BHSU.edu.