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...
Mathematics for Teaching K-6 Data Analysis and Problem Solving for Summer ’26 • Elementary Math Endorsement
What: EDUC 5540 – Data Analysis and Problem Solving. This is the 5th of 6 of the required endorsement courses. Anyone is welcome to register regardless if they have taken previous courses or not.
When: Monday May 11&Monday May 18 from 4-9 pm. Then, Monday June 1 through Friday June 5 from 8:00 am – 1:00 pm. If you can not attend each of these days via Zoom, please do not register for the course.
Who: Licensed educators who currently are or aspire to earn their Elementary Math Instruction Endorsement
How: Admission/Re-Admission & registration details can be found here (links to a Google Doc). There is a $210 SEDC course fee that will be paid for by the USBE STEM Endorsement Incentive Grant for all teachers with a current assignment in Utah’s public schools. Any others need to pay the course fee to SEDC upon registration (please send a check to SEDC 520 W. 800 S. Cedar City, UT 84720).
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
Instructional Design and Assessment for Summer ’26 Instructional Coaching Endorsement
What: Summer 2026 Instructional Coaching Endorsement Class: EDUC 5300: Instructional Design and Assessment (third of three courses in cohort)
When: The majority of the course will be completed asynchronously via Canvas throughout the months of June, July, and August. A single introductory live Zoom Meeting will be held sometime in May.
Who: Open to all teachers interested in Instructional Coaching Endorsement (courses can be taken in any order)
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
Southwest Utah Students Shine at 8th Annual Regional Spelling Bee
Spelling Bee fever hit Southwest Utah yesterday as the SEDC hosted our 8th Annual Regional Spelling Bee. This exciting event brought together talented 3rd-8th grade students from five of our member school districts and local charter schools to showcase their academic dedication and sportsmanship.
A Highly Competitive Field
The competition was exceptionally fierce this year. While many competitions narrow down quickly, we still had 11 spellers standing after exhausting the “very hard” word list—a milestone we reached much earlier in previous years. Beyond their spelling skills, the students displayed incredible character, supporting one another with fist bumps and thumbs up throughout the rounds.
Meet Our 2026 Champions
After a nail-biting 17 rounds, we are proud to announce this year’s top performers:
1ST PLACE:Landry Holyoak from Delta Middle School (Millard School District). Landry secured the title in the 17th round by correctly spelling the championship word, “periodical.”
2ND PLACE:Greyson Zellner from Lava Ridge Intermediate (Washington County School District), who put up a fantastic fight until the 15th round when he misspelled the word “catalogic.”
3RD PLACE: Eileen Burrows from Delta Middle School (Millard School District). Eileen earned her spot after a thrilling 2-person spell-off where she correctly spelled “pittance,” eliminating Darby Whisenhunt from North Elementary School in Iron County.
(L-R): Third-place finisher Eileen Burrows (Delta Middle School, Millard School District), first-place champion Landry Holyoak (Delta Middle School, Millard School District), and second-place finisher Greyson Zellner (Lava Ridge Intermediate, Washington County School District) celebrate their achievements at the 8th Annual SEDC Regional Spelling Bee.
Watch the Highlights
Every participant was honored with a Spelling Bee medal and a certificate to celebrate their tremendous efforts. If you missed the live event, you can watch the full replay on the SEDC YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/@sedck12.
A Special Thank You to Our Hosts
An event of this magnitude is truly a cooperative effort, and we extend a heartfelt thank you to our incredible school and district hosts for their hospitality and support. Thanks to Jeralyn Shaw, Canyon View Middle School Principal for providing our amazing venue. Additional thanks to Superintendent Lance Hatch for providing a warm welcome to the Bee. We are honored to work alongside such passionate educators and administrators to serve the students of southwest Utah.
At SEDC, we are proud to provide these opportunities to meet the needs of our students and teachers while promoting achievement across our rural schools.
Participants in the 8th Annual SEDC Regional Spelling Bee stand on stage following the competition. From left to right: Brecken Esplin, Minersville School, Beaver School District; Conner Lamica, Kanab Elementary School, Kane School District; Ellie Blackner, Minersville School, Beaver School District; River Rohrbach, Valley Academy Charter; Liam Iniguez, Valley Academy Charter; Colt Hansen, Diamond Valley Elementary, Washington School District; Jaiden Nelson, Belknap Elementary School, Beaver School District; Eileen Burrows, Delta Middle School, Millard School District; Breccan Leugers, Fillmore Middle School, Millard School District; Tarmi Robinson, Minersville School, Beaver School District; Amber Bright, Iron Springs Elementary, Iron School District; Darby Whisenhunt, North Elementary School, Iron School District; Landry Holyoak, Delta Middle School, Millard School District; Weston Mee, Kanab Elementary School, Kane School District; Bjorn Anderson, Riverside Elementary, Washington School District; Greyson Zellner, Lava Ridge Intermediate, Washington School District; Dash Jensen, North Elementary School, Iron School District; and Zane Hanrahan, Valley Academy Charter.
B.E.A.C.O.N (Building Educator AI Collaboration and Ongoing Networking) is a group of educators who want to gather and discuss AI in education.
Participants will help determine what we discuss during B.E.A.C.O.N. We meet once a month via Zoom.
If you are interested in participating in this monthly discussion please see the flyer below, and join our Google Classroom with this link to find the link to our first Zoom meeting (November 6th, at 4:30 PM) as well as other resources that our team has gathered over the past year.
SEDC has joined the News Literacy Project’s prestigious District Fellowship Program. This is a fantastic step forward for education in southwest Utah. The goal is clear: ensure all students learn to think critically and engage responsibly with news and information.
This three-year fellowship supports the implementation of news literacy education districtwide, providing SEDC with a significant $60,000 grant and customized support. As a participant, SEDC will also become part of a new Utah network fellowship alumnus Canyons School District. This network will serve as a powerful regional hub, allowing multiple Utah districts to collaborate, share best practices, and create resources that support sustained news literacy instruction across the entire state. With this fellowship, SEDC is directly addressing the urgent need to equip students with the necessary skills to navigate an increasingly complicated information landscape.
Give Your Child a Strong Start in School with Waterford Upstart
Southwest Educational Development Center has partnered with Waterford Upstart to provide our PreK children with an on-demand early learning program that gives you tools, coaching, and resources so you can prepare your child for a bright future.
Program Benefits:
Tailored software with fun and engaging lessons in reading, math, and science that are done in just fifteen minutes a day
Personalized family coaching and easy-to-use resources that support the work you’re already doing with your child
A computer and internet access for those who qualify
Who Can Participate: Children entering kindergarten in Fall 2026 How to Apply: Visit www.waterford.org/upstart or call 1-888-982-9898
What a truly magical event! The Southern Utah Media Specialist (SUMS) Conference, hosted by SEDC, recently brought together dedicated educators from across our six southwest Utah school districts and charter schools.
We send a huge thank you to Wade Jensen, Executive Director of Middle Schools for Washington County, for welcoming all our fantastic Media Specialists! His presence and support underscore the importance of literacy and the power of collaboration across our region. The theme, “Reading is Magical,” perfectly captured the inspiring sessions
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.
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?
