Register for your future!

Are you interested in advancing or changing your career and transforming the lives of children? Ignite your passion and make a difference with a research-based program offered through one of our three divisions today!

Please contact us before registering for any graduate program course. Call Colleen Gill at 845-553-9516 X110 or fill out the contact form here.

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The RTC Institute accepts all major credit cards.

For further details on registration and payment, please visit course payment/refund policies.

Rockland Teachers’ Center Institute

RTC Institute, a 501(c)(3) organization, offers Masters’ degree programs and graduate courses, both locally and online, at discounted prices in conjunction with our higher education partners.

RTC Institute partners with colleges and universities to bring high quality, convenient, graduate courses and programs to educators and career changers. The college and university partners define all application, matriculation, course, and graduation requirements, and grant graduate credit. RTC Institute serves as the local sponsoring partner for these courses and programs by bringing the courses and programs to local sites. RTC Institute cannot grant graduate credit or degrees. Our collaborating Higher Education partners grants credit or a degree per their accreditation by the State of New York. Students who have questions or concerns about their academic status, grades, or official transcripts should contact the college or university.

Offerings

Additional Information

Physical Location

By appointment: 37 W. Broad Street 2nd Floor, Haverstraw, New York, 10927
Phone: 845-553-9517

Mailing Address

65 Chapel Street, Garnerville NY 10923

RTCI Team

Executive Director

Debra J. Thomas Ph.D.

Assistant Director

Deborah Studnitzer

Program Director

Colleen Gill

Finance Director

Vicki Biribin

IT Director

Betty McAleer

Rockland Teachers’ Center

A New York State Teachers’ Center

“A source for teachers… A promise for students”

Rockland Teachers’ Center provides grant-funded professional learning opportunities and Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) for educators and support staff.

Rockland Teachers’ Center is a New York State Resource and Computer Training Centers established in 1976 under Education Law 316 and one of 124 NYS Teacher Centers statewide. RTC works with the Lower Hudson Teacher Center Network (LHTCN) on regional initiatives and the Nyack Teacher Center and East Ramapo Teacher Center on local initiatives. Rockland BOCES serves as RTC’s Local Education Agency (LEA) since 2015 and the LHTCN’s LEA since 2021. RTC and the LHTCN are funded through the New York State Education Department (NYSED) Teacher Resource and Computer Training Centers Continuation grant.

As of 2024, the NYSED Teacher Resource and Computer Training Centers Continuation grant are housed in the NYSED Office of Educational Design & Technology, which “coordinates programs and initiatives that promote the effective integration of technology in P-12 educational environments throughout New York State in order to improve teaching and learning”.

Major RTC Initiatives

Arts Education and Cultural Arts

RTC provides support and resources for Cultural Arts Coordinators through bi-annual trainings, connecting cultural arts coordinators, and maintaining a resource portal.

Cultural Arts Coordinator trainings, co-sponsored by Rockland BOCES, include networking among countywide cultural arts coordinators, a local program showcase, and a Q & A about cultural arts with the Rockland BOCES liaison. The trainings generally occur in Sept and June, and as needed.

Contact: dstudnitzer@rockteach.org

Continuity of Learning

English as a New Language

Literacy

RTC collaborates with Rockland Reading Council and St. Thomas Aquinas College on a literacy initiative, which includes after-school professional learning for CTLE and professional development. RTC also offers professional development focused on literacy and English as a New Language.

RTCI supports Rockland Reading Council, local council of the New York State Reading Association. Join Rockland Reading Council

Living History

RTC collaborates with The Living History Education Foundation to provide professional development and CTLE for educators and support staff.

“This is the most wonderful workshop and activity I HAVE EVER BEEN A PART OF and I have taught for 16 years! There is so much I plan to integrate into my classroom and I wish we could have spent DAYS with Joe Ryan and his crew instead of hours. The knowledge and enthusiasm of the instructors is truly infectious, and I felt completely immersed in the Civil War, from the kepi hat I wore to the cartridge box and haversack hanging from my shoulder…”

~ Paul Clemente

National Board Certification

Poverty Simulation

What is the Poverty Simulation? The poverty simulation experience is designed to help participants understand what it is like to live in poverty and try to make ends meet from month to month. It is a simulation, not a game. The primary objective is to sensitize participants to the realities faced by low-income individuals and families and to educate the participants about the challenges that people living in poverty must address every day. Participants experience how these challenges can affect the behaviors, beliefs, and health of these individuals. It provides educators with a better understanding of the social and academics effects of poverty on the students they serve.

In the simulation, 50-80 participants assume the roles of up to 26 different families facing poverty. Some family members are newly unemployed, some are recently deserted by the “breadwinner,” some are homeless. Others are senior citizens receiving disability or retirement payments or grandparents raising grandchildren. The task of the “families” is to provide for basic necessities (food, shelter, medical care, etc.) during the course of four “weeks”. Throughout the simulation, individuals must complete a series of tasks that involve interacting with community services and resources, schools, businesses, landlords, etc. to aid them in surviving.

At the end of the simulation, participants reflect upon the experience during an organized debriefing session. In addition, educators identify how poverty is affecting their students emotionally, behaviorally, and academically. The simulation and debriefing take 3 hours.

Contact Deborah Studnitzer to learn more

School Wellness

Rockland Teachers’ Center partners with the Rockland County School Health and Wellness Coalition on initiatives to improve the health of our students and school community. Foci include integrating physical activity into the classroom, nutrition, parent engagement, building community through agriculture.

Rockland County Department of Health is the Lead Agency. Steering Committee partners include RTC, Rockland Farm Alliance, Cornell Cooperative Extension SNAP ED, Montefiore Nyack, Rockland BOCES, Rockland 21C Collaborative for Children and Youth, RCADD, CEJJES, Rockland Community College, Dominican University, Head Start and Tender Steps of New York.

Since 2020, RTC and Cornell Cooperative Extension SNAP ED partner on a statewide Annual School Wellness Summer Symposium delivered via Zoom.

STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math

RTC STEAM Website
Drone Technology
G-Suite for Education and Ed Tech Tools
littleBits Loaner Program

RTC trainings are aligned to the Next Generation Math & Science Standards.

Math

RTC partners with The Association of Mathematics Teachers of New York State (AMTNYS) and Ten County Mathematics Educators Association (TCMEA) to offer statewide and regional programming aligned to P-12 Math standards.

In addition, RTC offers an Elementary Math Professional Learning Community (PLC), which offers an opportunity for sharing Math resources and strategies.

Community and Professional Partners
Consortium Districts
Emergency Closing Info
Fair Use Copyright Policy
Higher Education Partners
News and Updates
Policy Board
- Policy Board Meeting Schedule
Rockland Teachers’ Center Team

Physical Address

By appointment: 37 W. Broad Street 2nd Floor, Haverstraw, New York, 10927

Mailing Address

65 Chapel Street, Garnerville NY 10923

Rockland BOCES
Attn: Rockland Teachers’ Center
65 Parrott Road
Building 10 PDC
West Nyack, NY 10994

Contact
Phone: 845-553-9517

Westchester Teacher Center Institute

For a listing of our courses, please click here

WTC Institute, the newest division of RTC Institute, offers teacher training and learning for all sectors of the community. Earn CTLE, in-service or enroll in graduate level course/program.

The Westchester Teacher Center Institute offers high quality educational programs for the purpose of promoting and facilitating teacher training and learning for all sectors of the community. These CTLE, in-service and graduate level courses and programs are open to ALL teachers for a fee based on the number of class hours or credits. Under a long-standing policy, teachers in The Edith Winthrop Teacher Center consortium may register for our course and workshop offerings at a discounted rate.

The course and/or program fees are used to pay the instructor’s fee and the operational expenses.

Links to Westchester Teachers’ Center Institute website:

For a listing of our courses, please click here.

To visit the Edith Winthrop Teacher Center website, please click here.

Staff Members:

Lori D’Andrea – Director
Susan Farrell – Program Coordinator
Theresa Gallucci – Administrative Assistant

Register for your future!

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Arts Education and Cultural Arts

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Math

Higher Education Partners

Technology Resource and Training Center

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Higher Education Partners

Technology Resource and Training Center

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