YOUR AD HERE »

2 + 2 equals local teaching degree

Living in the Roaring Fork Valley has many perks. However earning a bachelor’s degree has not been one of them until now. Colorado Mountain College and Mesa State College’s Center for Teacher Preparation have developed a partnership to accommodate Roaring Fork residents.

Now a student can earn a bachelor’s degree and elementary teaching certification, while staying in the Roaring Fork Valley. It’s called the 2 + 2 program.

Before this program was developed, a student could earn a bachelor’s degree, but only with long commutes to Grand Junction or even to Denver for certain classes. The 2 + 2 program offers the same high-quality courses, but with the convenience of sitting in a local CMC classroom.



Students begin their studies by enrolling in CMC to complete the associate in general studies degree in elementary education. In addition to their general education classes, they will be required to complete 100 hours of volunteer hands-on work with children in public or private schools or through other youth-oriented community organizations.

The junior and senior year will be taken through Mesa State College.



This program is delivered to CMC at Spring Valley by a combination of live lecture and interactive microwave classes from the Mesa State campus in Grand Junction.

While taking their upper-division classes, the student will also be fulfilling 835 hours of fieldwork in local classrooms, which includes their teaching internship. This enables the student to put theories and practices, learned in class, into action.

Students will walk away with a professional teaching portfolio that meets Colorado state standards, and which they can present to prospective employers. Graduates will earn both an associate in general studies degree from CMC and a bachelor of arts degree in liberal studies with an elementary education emphasis from Mesa State College.

To insure the success of their students, CMC and Mesa State College are partnering with local school district professionals to deliver this program.

To take advantage of the 2 + 2 program, contact any Colorado Mountain College counselor, or call Ed Bouchard, Spring Valley Student Services counselor, at 947-8275, or Debra Winston, Mesa State coordinator for the Teaching Education Partnership, at 970-384-8531.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Glenwood Springs and Garfield County make the Post Independent’s work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.