Professional Development

Teachers catch up with old friends during the continental breakfast at the start of the Clearing the Spring, Tending the Fountain Common Gathering.

From 1992 through 2005, the Dodge Poetry Program partnered with Rowan University to offer New Jersey Teachers Continuing Education Units and Professional Development Hours. In 2006, the Program applied to the New Jersey Department of Education for its own Classification One Professional Development Provider status.

Provider # 6010

Clearing the Spring, Tending the Fountain
New Jersey Teachers Participating in Clearing the Spring, Tending the Fountain, poetry exploration groups held each spring, can earn up to 20 Professional Development Hours.

Billy Collins reads during the Poetry Sampler to a packed house on Teacher Day 2006.
Teacher Day
New Jersey Teachers attending the biennial Poetry Festival can advance register for Teacher Day and earn 5 to 8 Professional Development Hours for each day of the Festival they attend.

Information on how to obtain Professional Development Hours will be distributed to teachers who register for Clearing the Spring, Tending the Fountain or Teacher Day.

Out-of-State Teachers
We will gladly issue Professional Development Hour certificates to out-of-state teachers. It remains the responsibility of the teacher to determine if their out-of-state school district will accept Professional Development Hours issued by a New Jersey provider.