Southwest Educational Development Center, or SEDC, provides services requested by our member schools in order to better serve the students in southwest Utah. Our specific services are described throughout this Web site.
Our Mission
The Mission of the Southwest Educational Development Center is to meet the needs of students and teachers, promote achievement, and provide for economy and efficiency in the cooperative delivery of educational services that are identified and requested by member schools.
The SEDC region is larger in area than West Virginia. With over 100 schools, nearly 3,000 educators and 50,000 students in the region, we work to provide economies of scale to benefit all of our rural partners. We have strong partnerships statewide as well.
Explore the areas on the right to learn more about what SEDC is and what we provide for our members.
Southwest Educational Center Partnerships Since its inception in 1969 the Southwest Educational Development Center's primary goal has been to establish,...
Our goal at SEDC is to help educators identify their needs and to assist in providing the avenues to meet those needs. Our team continually seeks out new knowledge, implementing best practices to deliver exceptional services and learning opportunities. The...
We are thrilled to invite you to a very special event as part of the Southwest Astronomy Festival—an exclusive opportunity just for educators!
On Saturday, September 13th at 6 pm, Dr. Jesse Christiansen, Chief Scientist at NASA’s Exoplanet Science Institute, will be joining us at ICSD’s District Office to share her groundbreaking work in the search for planets beyond our solar system. This is a rare chance to hear directly from a leading NASA scientist and to connect with the wonder, discovery, and “cool factor” of cutting-edge space exploration.
In addition to this teacher session, you are welcome to attend any of the other events throughout the Astronomy Festival. We also want this to be a family-friendly experience—please feel free to bring family members along to enjoy this and the other festival events.
Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to connect with NASA science and bring the universe a little closer to your classroom. Register here today!
Event Details Location: ICSD’s Office 2077 West Royal Hunte Drive Date: Saturday, September 13th Time: 6:00 pm
EDUC 5560: Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment for Elementary Mathematics Leaders • SEDC Elementary Math Specialist Endorsement Course for Fall 2025
What: Fall 2025 Math Specialist Endorsement Class: EDUC 5560: Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment for Elementary Math Leaders (first course in a new cohort)
When: Mondays, weekly from September 8th through December 8th, 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Who: Teachers with prior Elementary Math Endorsement (Prerequisite).
How: Virtual class offered via Zoom and Canvas. Synchronous attendance and participation required.
Fees:
SEDC Fee: $210 (covered by USBE STEM Endorsement Incentive Program for eligible teachers)
UVU Tuition: $45 (reimbursed by SEDC with USBE funding for eligible teachers)
One-time $35 admission fee applies to first-time UVU students (also reimbursed)
Discover how Scrible empowers students to conduct effective online research and streamline the writing process. Learn how to leverage Scrible’s annotation, citation, and organization tools to foster critical thinking and academic integrity. Learn practical strategies for integrating Scrible into various subject areas and grade levels, helping students develop essential research and writing skills for success. Scrible is provided at no charge as part of Utah’s Online School Library.
SEDC is hosting two trainings with Scrible on August 26th, 2025 over Zoom. Please register below, both trainings will be an introduction to Scrible, new features, and a Q and A.
EDUC 5520: Teaching K-6 Algebraic Reasoning • SEDC Elementary Math Endorsement Course for Fall 2025
What: Fall 2025 offering of EDUC 5520 – Mathematics for Teaching K-6 Algebraic Reasoning (3rd of six required courses for the endorsement).
When: The class will be held every other Monday beginning on August 25th via Zoom and online via Canvas.
Who: Open to all elementary teachers interested in the Elementary Math Endorsement. Course fees will be covered by the USBE STEM Endorsement Incentive Grant for active teachers.
Questions: Please direct any questions regarding this course or any other of SEDC’s Endorsements to Joe B. Wright – Executive Director of SEDC, joeb@sedck12.org, 435.586.2865
EDUC 5411: Foundations of Instructional Coaching • SEDC Instructional Coaching Endorsement Course for Fall 2025
What: Fall 2025 Instructional Coaching Endorsement Class: EDUC 5411: Foundations of Instructional Coaching (first course in cohort, but educators are welcome to join anytime)
When: Second Tuesday of every month, September 9th through December 9, 2025, 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm (synchronous online)
Who: Open to all teachers interested in Instructional Coaching Endorsement (courses can be taken in any order)
How: Virtual class offered via Zoom and Canvas. Synchronous attendance and participation required.
Registration information is coming soon. Questions? Reach out to SEDC’s Executive Director Joe B. Wright or Sara McAffee, our incredible endorsement instructor. Share this information with this link: sedck12.org/elemsci25
Spelling Bee Superstars Shine at 7th Annual Regional Spelling Bee!
Get ready to give a HUGE round of applause for the incredible young word wizards who competed in our 7th Annual Regional Spelling Bee yesterday! The Southwest Educational Development Center (SEDC) was thrilled to host this fantastic event, and let us tell you, the talent on display was absolutely inspiring!
We had bright and brilliant spellers from all across southwest Utah, representing Beaver, Iron, Kane, Millard, and Washington County School Districts, as well as the amazing students from Valley Academy Charter School. That’s right – 18 of the sharpest 3rd through 8th graders came together at Canyon View Middle School in Cedar City to put their vocabulary skills to the ultimate test!
A massive thank you to Canyon View Middle School and their wonderful principal, Jeralyn Shaw, for hosting us in their awesome auditorium! We also want to extend our sincere appreciation to Lance Hatch, Superintendent of Iron County School District, for his warm and welcoming words to all our participants and their families.
The competition was fierce, the tension was palpable (in a fun way, of course!), and the spelling was top-notch! After several exciting rounds, we are absolutely delighted to announce our champions:
🏆 First Place: The phenomenal Jenessi Sawyer from South Elementary in Iron School District! Jenessi spelled the word “tenacious” with confidence and grace to take home the gold! Way to go, Jenessi – you are a spelling superstar!
🥈 Runner-Up: The incredibly talented Hayes Holyoak from Delta Middle School in Millard School District! Hayes made it so close, only stumbling on the tricky word “pittance.” What an amazing effort, Hayes! We are so impressed with your skills!
🥉 Third Place: The fantastic Eileen Burrows, also from Delta Middle School in Millard School District! Eileen battled it out in a thrilling four-person spell-off and emerged victorious after correctly spelling “wherewithal“! Congratulations, Eileen!
We are so incredibly proud of all 18 spellers who participated! Each and every one of you demonstrated amazing dedication and a love for language. You all received a well-deserved medal and certificate to commemorate your hard work. And a special shout-out again to our top three who also took home some shiny trophies!
This annual Spelling Bee is a highlight for SEDC, and it’s truly inspiring to see such bright young minds in our region. It reinforces our commitment to supporting academic excellence and fostering a love of learning in southwest Utah.
Congratulations again to Jenessi, Hayes, Eileen, and all the amazing spellers who made our 7th Annual Regional Spelling Bee such a resounding success! Follow us on social media @sedck12 for more updates and highlights! #sedck12 #sedcspellingbee
So, you’re a teacher and you’re wondering about showing movies in class? It’s a great way to spark interest and bring lessons to life, but it’s important to do it the right way. Or maybe you just want something for indoor recess or as a class reward?
Here’s the scoop on copyright and streaming movies:
Copyright protects creative works. That means movies, TV shows, music, and more are owned by someone.
Most streaming services don’t allow public showings. This includes classrooms, even if it’s just for a short clip.
But don’t worry! There are several ways to access movies legally:
Fair Use: This is a tricky one, but it basically means you can use small portions of a copyrighted work for educational purposes. Click here for details on Fair Use.
Keep it short and sweet. Show only the parts that are directly related to your lesson.
Focus on learning. Make sure the movie clip is a tool to help students understand, not just entertainment.
Ask your school’s media specialist. They can give you specific advice on what’s allowed.
Where can I find materials to use with movies to increase engagement?
Location: ICSD’s Office 2077 West Royal Hunte Drive
Date: Saturday, September 13th
Time: 6:00 pm
