Concordia University Wisconsin School of Education

06/02/2026

Registration is now open for the Concordia Summit on August 14.

Rooted in Christ. Equipped for action.

Join Lutheran teachers, administrators, early childhood educators, and school leaders for a day of learning, encouragement, and practical strategies designed to strengthen Christian education.

The Concordia Summit will feature:

* An inspiring keynote from Dr. Eugene Kim on AI, vocation, and teaching in the digital age
* Practical sectionals led by Concordia faculty and educational leaders
* Topics ranging from faith integration and child development to classroom engagement, communication, music, math, literacy and more
* Opportunities to connect with fellow Christian educators committed to serving students with excellence

Whether you teach preschool, elementary, middle school, high school, or serve in educational leadership, the Concordia Summit offers meaningful learning and encouragement for the year ahead.

📅 August 14, 2026
🌳 Rooted & Ready: Grounded in Christ. Equipped for Action.
📍 Registration is now open

Register today: https://swd.lcms.org/summit/

05/28/2026

Some conversations can change a life.

If you've ever felt called to walk alongside others through challenges, transitions, and growth, a career in counseling may be worth exploring.

Join Concordia's Graduate Counseling Q&A to learn more about our counseling programs, licensure pathways, and flexible options designed for working professionals. Bring your questions and discover what the next step could look like for you.

🗓 Thursday, June 4, 2026
🕛 12:00–1:00 PM

Whether you're ready to apply or simply beginning to explore the profession, we'd love to connect with you.
Register for the Q&A here: https://apply.cuw.edu/register/?id=2811578d-c94b-452c-adb6-5767b7c6d7d0

05/20/2026

With this most recent academic year now complete, the Concordia University School of Education faculty and staff gathered to celebrate God’s blessings through food, fellowship, and gratitude for the students we are privileged to serve.

This year brought meaningful growth, faithful service, memorable milestones, and the joy of walking alongside future educators, counselors, and leaders preparing to serve in Christ’s church and the world.

We are especially thankful for our recent graduates and pray the Lord’s continued blessings on each of them as they begin new chapters of service, leadership, and vocation.

We look ahead to the coming year with excitement, purpose, and gratitude.

05/18/2026

Congratulations to Rheannon Trampf (’26), a graduate of Concordia University Wisconsin’s clinical mental health counseling program.

Rheannon’s story is one of faith, perseverance, family, and purpose. As a young mother, student, counselor-in-training, and children’s book author, she found strength through Concordia’s supportive graduate counseling community and carried forward a simple but powerful reminder: “Do it scared.”

We are proud of the way Rheannon is preparing to serve others with compassion, courage, and care.

Read her story: https://blog.cuw.edu/do-it-scared-rheannon-trampf-finds-strength-in-concordias-graduate-counseling-program/

Learn more about Rheannon's program here: https://www.cuw.edu/academics/programs/mental-health-counseling-masters/index.html

Rheannon Trampf came to CUW looking for a counseling program that could fit her life as a young mother and found a community that strengthened her faith, deepened her calling and prepared her to serve others with compassion.

05/11/2026

How do young children learn to wonder, observe, and truly connect with the world around them?

Join Dr. Amy Lindgren, Associate Professor of Education and Chair of Early Childhood and Elementary Education at Concordia University Wisconsin, for ZOOMING in on God’s Creation: Ecological Perspective-Taking with Young Scientists at the Concordia Summit.

This engaging sectional explores how play, perspective-taking, children’s literature, and nature-based learning can help young scientists strengthen observation skills, inquiry, and a sense of wonder about God’s creation.

Educators will leave with practical strategies that nurture curiosity, deepen engagement, and help children see the world in new ways.

Registration is now open for our August 14th event: https://swd.lcms.org/summit/

05/08/2026

Strong communication skills shape learning, relationships, confidence, and connection in the classroom.

Join Dr. Elizabeth Eernisse and Dr. Mikaely Schmitz for Supporting speech and language development in preschool and elementary learners at the Concordia Summit.

This practical sectional will help educators:
• recognize speech and language differences across developmental stages
• identify signs that students may need additional support
• implement evidence-based classroom strategies immediately
• navigate family conversations and referrals with empathy and professionalism

Whether you serve in preschool or elementary settings, this session offers practical tools to help every learner communicate with confidence.

Registration is now open for our August 14th event: https://swd.lcms.org/summit/

05/07/2026

Dr. Hensel and our special education teacher candidates are making an impact on this trip to Belize with OT, PT, and SLP Concordia students.

Same shirts, different specialties, one mission 🇧🇿
OT + PT + SPED + SLP = interprofessional teamwork in action.

Serving, learning, and growing together across disciplines - grateful for the opportunity to be part of something bigger.

05/07/2026

Our students, staff, and faculty are blessed by the return of Dr. Kathryn Baganz to the School of Education team. Welcome back, Dr. Baganz!

Concordia University Wisconsin’s School of Education welcomes back Dr. Kathryn Baganz (need grad year) in a leadership role that strengthens both its mission and its reach.

05/06/2026

Nate, we are so proud of the teacher you’ve become!

Meet Nathan Laesch, a senior at Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW), preparing to serve as a Lutheran school music teacher.

Nathan grew up in St. Louis in a pastor’s family, surrounded by parents who loved the Church and pointed him to Christ. “My dad is a pastor,” he said. “And my mom, she’s always been a really strong force in the Lutheran faith.”

From his time in Lutheran grade school through Lutheran High School North, he was constantly shaped by teachers and church workers who wove faith and music together.

Music itself took root early. Nathan started piano lessons in third grade and picked up trumpet in fifth grade, playing often in church and singing in choirs through high school and college. Along the way, his grandma quietly encouraged him to keep going. She “practiced with us and drove us to be better than we were the day before, every single time,” helping him see that music is “a really important part of the world and of God’s creation.”

When Nathan first arrived at CUW, he planned on elementary education, then explored pre‑seminary and secondary education. Through prayerful conversations with his parents and mentoring from music faculty like Dr. Alexa Doebele and Dr. Louis Menchaca, he realized God had given him a particular gift.

Now, as a student teacher at Metro East Lutheran High School in Edwardsville, Illinois, Nathan is discovering the joy of building relationships with students in the classroom and rehearsal room, sharing both his love for Christ and his love for music. After graduation, he’ll begin a master’s degree in instrumental conducting at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, with the goal of serving in a Lutheran high school and helping the next generation use their musical gifts to praise God.

Join us in praying for Nathan and all those preparing to serve Christ’s Church. Leave a comment below to share a word of encouragement for future church workers.

05/05/2026

Congratulations to LICI Doctor of Education student Liz Streubel on her outstanding leadership and service.

Liz serves as assistant principal at Wilson Elementary in the Mequon-Thiensville School District, where she is known for leading with compassion, making student-centered decisions, and helping create a school community where students and staff feel safe, supported, and ready to thrive.

Over the past three years, Liz has helped strengthen student well-being, improve attendance, and build staff morale through intentional relationship-building and restorative leadership. Her work reflects the kind of thoughtful, purpose-driven leadership that makes a lasting difference in the lives of students, families, and educators.

We are proud to celebrate Liz and the meaningful impact she continues to make through her leadership. Congratulations, Liz.

Learn more about Liz's program here.
https://www.cuw.edu/academics/programs/education-doctorate-in-leadership-in-innovation-and-continuous-improvement/index.html