Even before graduating from college, it's possible to gain meaningful experience in the field of education, developing skill in core activities like planning lessons and running a classroom.

At Sewanee, the Office of Civic Engagement is a hub for projects that connect the university to the community. Over the years, the Bonner Leaders Program and Canale Internship Fund have supported a wide variety of service activities in local schools, with sustained focus on mentoring, tutoring, and the arts. The South Cumberland Plateau AmeriCorps offers students additional opportunities to volunteer in local schools for up to eight hours a week, making participants eligible for a stipend and education award, as well as reimbursement for program and travel expenses. During the school year and the summer, Sewanee students have been involved with local programs like Head Start and ZEAL.

There are also a number of summer programs which regularly hire college students to teach a pre-college curriculum to middle and high-school students. Because of the structure of the school year, internships or similar gateways to professional experience are rare in the field of education. But with varying degrees of responsibility and independence, these opportunities can offer a chance to explore the vocation in a supervised, mentored environment, usually in collaboration with experienced instructors.