Gulf Coast Community College will host a community forum for the Educator Preparation Institute (EPI), “transition-to-teaching” program.

The community forum is scheduled for February 13, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., and will be held in the Professional Development Center on campus. The EPI program is designed to allow former or recent college graduates, with four-year degrees, to begin a career in teaching.

The EPI is a “hybrid” delivery program, consisting of nine classes taken through a mixture of online and face-to-face traditional classroom sessions.

According to the Florida Department of Education, the state is projected to hire 25,000 to 35,000 teachers per year over the next three to five years. The number of graduates exiting the college of education programs across the state of Florida is approximately 6,000 per year. In an attempt to address this emerging gap, GCCC is offering “transition-to teaching” programs.

For additional information, visit the Web site at http://teach.gulfcoast.edu, or call Patricia Schenck at 769-1551, ext.3577.