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...
ETEP – EdTech Endorsement Program: Join Us This Summer!
Our Educational Technology Endorsement Courses are available for you to jump in anytime, and work at your own pace. You can learn more and enroll in the first course, Foundations of Instructional Technology, at sedck12.org/etep. If you have already joined the first course, but have not done much so far, no problem! This summer is a GREAT time to get back into the swing of self-directed professional learning – come on in, the water is fine!
This year, instead of offering a slew of different tool-specific 1-credit courses, we thought we would highlight a great new course from UEN for you to consider – AI and Student Learning. The flyer below has a description of what you will learn and walk away with. Join me – I’ll be taking this course right along side with you!
Cause and Effect in Science and Stability and Change in Science for Summer ’25 Elementary Science Endorsement
What: Summer 2025 Elementary Science Endorsement Courses: EDUC 5704: Cause and Effect in Science as well as EDUC 5705: Stability and Change in Science
When: May 12 – Aug. 20th, kicking off with a meeting via Zoom. There is an in-person field trip to Salt Lake City & Antelope Island (hotel and three meals will be provided, details of field trip will be shared at Kick Off meeting).
Who: Open to all teachers interested in the Elementary Science Endorsement (courses can be taken in any order)
How: Admission & Registration details for each course can be found below. Registration for these courses closes at 11:59 pm on May 9, 2025.
Cost: Courses will be offered FREE to all Utah elementary teachers with support from the STEM Endorsement Incentive Grant. SEDC will pay the SUU tuition.
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 ’25 Instructional Coaching Endorsement
What: Summer 2025 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 on Tuesday, May 13th at 4:30 pm.
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
Rational Numbers & Proportional Reasoning for Summer ’25 Elementary Math Endorsement
What: Summer 2025 offering of EDUC 5510 – Rational Numbers & Proportional Reasoning (2nd of six required courses for the endorsement)
When: The class will be held on three Mondays in May ( May 5th, 12, and 19th) from 4:00 pm until 8:00 pm and then a week in June (June 2nd – 6th) from 8:00 am until 12:00 pm each day.
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
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?
We hit the jackpot with a grant from the Utah STEM Action Center for a top-notch Digitalis Digitarium portable planetarium system! Brace yourselves for a mind-blowing journey through Earth, the Moon, our Solar System, and beyond – we’re talking zooming through the Milky Way Galaxy and into uncharted territories! This isn’t just a planetarium, it’s a whole classroom on wheels – get ready for out-of-this-world 360º virtual tours, full-dome videos, and endless adventures. Buckle up for an educational joyride to Infinity and Beyond! Learn more here.
Schools can reserve the the planetarium by contacting Clint. The planetarium will be delivered, picked up and facilitated by SEDC staff and/or trained personnel from districts. Use for classroom instruction, before and after school clubs and camps, computing, and STEM activities, Back to School Nights, school event kickoffs, end-of-year activities, fundraisers, community events, and much more!
UEN has announced a new resource for Utah educators. It’s designed to be a perfect “Go To” for some just-in-time training or help. It is extremely easy to navigate, and can quickly get you to the perfect UEN resource right when you need it.
