WCE's Betty Holden Stike Education Laboratory Celebrates 40 Years

For 40 years, the Betty Holden Stike Education Laboratory at UNCW’s Watson College of Education has been a cornerstone of the college’s teacher preparation programs. Since opening in 1985, the Ed Lab has helped more than 8,500 aspiring teachers gain hands-on experience while providing local schoolchildren with personalized learning opportunities in a supportive, enriched environment.

Located on campus, the Ed Lab is the only facility of its kind in North Carolina and one of just a few in the nation. It serves as both a resource center and model classroom where Watson students receive guidance in lesson planning, curriculum development, and instructional strategies while tutoring elementary and middle school children from the community.

“WCE’s teacher education programs are designed with field experiences that allow for a gradual entry into teaching,” said WCE Assistant Dean and Ed Lab Director Somer Lewis. “Ed Lab tutoring is often a student’s first applied learning experience. It’s been called a ‘classroom of one’—the place where future teachers first apply the strategies they’re learning in their courses, with ongoing coaching, mentoring and support from the Ed Lab’s team of experienced educators.”

The Ed Lab is equipped with more than 13,800 books and teaching materials, outdoor learning spaces, and even a kitchen that helps future teachers bring lessons to life. Cooking activities, for example, give children a fun, hands-on way to practice reading, measurement, fractions, and time. Each semester, special events such as an Author Showcase and Math Fair add to the excitement of learning.

“Tutoring in the Ed Lab is a positive experience for everyone involved,” said Lead Ed Lab Coach Courtney Townsend. “Our students learn to engage their tutees by focusing on each child’s strengths, needs, and interests. It’s amazing to see their confidence and teaching skills grow over the semester—and rewarding when they tell us, years later, that this was the moment they first truly felt like a teacher.”

The lab is named for the late Betty Holden Stike, a beloved teacher and longtime UNCW faculty member who served at Watson for more than 20 years and made lasting contributions to the local education community. Her son, John Stike, has continued to honor her legacy through generous support that helps keep Ed Lab tutoring fees low, provides scholarships, and enhances hands-on learning opportunities for students.

“Our teacher preparation programs are greatly enriched by the presence of the Betty Holden Stike Ed Lab,” said Tracy Linderholm, dean of the Watson College of Education. “Thanks to this engaging facility and the ongoing commitment of our staff, faculty, community partners, and donors, our students are exceptionally well prepared to become outstanding classroom teachers.”