Ozarks Teacher Corps to Meet in Mountain Grove, MO
The Rural Schools Collaborative will visit with members of the Ozarks Teacher Corps on issues related to Place-Based Education.
Members of the Ozarks Teacher Corps will meet with the Rural Schools Collaborative to discuss issues related to place-based education on Thursday, October 29, 2015. The meeting will be held on the Missouri State University-Mountain Grove campus at the site of the historic Fruit Experimentation Station.
Ozarks Teacher Corps members will learn about place-based learning principles and why they are so important for students, teachers, rural schools and communities. In addition, students will listen to presentations from Grants in Place recipients Zachary Hamby, Ava, MO; Rachel Hamby, Mountain Grove, MO; and Kelly Wardle, Willow Springs, MO on their innovative place-based education projects. That trio will be joined by artist-educator, Kate Baird, who will talk about the work of her regional Placeworks organization.
The Ozarks Teacher Corps was established in 2010 in conjunction with the Community Foundation of the Ozarks' Rural Schools Partnership. Accepted students commit to returning to their hometown or similar rural Ozarks community to teach for at least three years. Corps members receive an annual scholarship and participate in a wide range of seminars, where they learn about a variety of rural topics. The overarching goal of the program is develop teacher-leaders who will serve as catalysts for positive change.
Missouri State University, Missouri State University-West Plains, Drury University, and Evangel University teacher education students are eligible to participate in the program.
With a placement rate of 93%, the Ozarks Teacher Corps has been lauded nationally by media such as Education Week, Council on Foundations, the Washington Post, and National Public Radio.