ECC Employee Transforms Instructor Training Experience Into New Book and Online Learning Opportunities

Adam Culbertson was among 14 educators statewide chosen for the North Carolina Public Safety Mentor Instructor Cohort.

When it comes to education, Adam Culbertson, director of public services at Edgecombe Community College, believes effective teaching is just as important as subject matter expertise.

Recently, Culbertson was one of 14 instructors from across North Carolina selected to participate in the NC Public Safety Mentor Instructor Cohort, a 10-week professional development program designed for EMS, fire and law enforcement educators. The program focused on creating engaging learning environments and providing high-quality, consistent instruction that is more effective.

“We want students to retain the materials and apply them,” Culbertson said.

The cohort followed a “train-the-trainer” model, equipping participants with instructional strategies they can share with other educators. Culbertson has already begun putting those lessons into practice by developing online training centered on lesson planning and effective teaching methods.

Inspired by the experience, Culbertson also authored a new book, The 21st Century EMS Educator: Bridging the Gap Between the Streets and the Science of Learning. Available on Amazon, the book combines insights from the cohort with his own experiences in emergency services education, offering practical strategies for modernizing public safety instruction.

For Culbertson, who has worked at ECC for 14 years and has a background in emergency management, the experience reinforced the value of lifelong learning and professional collaboration.

“It was great collaborating with others,” he said. “Everybody has a different way of doing things, and we are able to bring our ideas together.”

As he continues to apply what he learned, Culbertson hopes to help strengthen public safety education at ECC and across the state.