Our Mission

Building sustainable rural communities through a keen focus on place, teachers, and philanthropy.

Celebrating 10 Years of Rural Schools Collaborative

As we celebrate Rural Schools Collaborative’s 10th anniversary in 2025, we are filled with gratitude for the journey alongside rural educators, students, and advocates. What began as a desire to support rural schools has grown into a national movement, with impact far beyond what we ever could have imagined. At the root of it all are partnerships, collaboration, and a shared unconditional belief in the possibility of rural places.

In 2021, RSC’s founding director, Gary Funk, passed the torch to new leadership. His family created a $50,000 endowment for RSC, signaling a belief that our impact would continue into an unknown future.

In 2024, our Board of Directors made a commitment to match the Funk’s endowment in advance of our 10 Year Anniversary. Through a special campaign honoring our Founding Board members, we exceeded the goal of $100,000 in endowment, affirming yet again that RSC is here to stay.

Thank you to all who have been a part of the first decade of RSC. We are thrilled to celebrate with you!

10 Year Timeline

Early Days - 2014: RSC Inception

Building on the work of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, a 2014 meeting in St. Louis affirms the creation of Rural Schools Collaborative as a national nonprofit.

"I was interested in Rural Schools Collaborative as a founding board member because I saw an important need for university and school collaboration. Like urban schools, rural has its own unique contexts, and we need to bring attention to and wrap our arms around rural school needs."

- Dr. Andrea E. Evans, RSC Founding Board Member (2014-16) - Chicago, IL

2009 - 2014: CFO Rural Schools Partnership Launch - Missouri Ozarks

In 2009, The Community Foundation of the Ozarks (based in Springfield, MO) established the Rural Schools Partnership. This innovative program included the Ozarks Teacher Corps, awarded grants to support rural teachers, and led a successful initiative to build and support rural school foundations. This ecosystem of education, which brought together schools, philanthropy, and other local partners, became the model for RSC's launch and development.

2014: Rural Leaders Gathering - St. Louis

In 2014, a group of Midwestern rural advocates meet in St. Louis. The gathering was hosted by future RSC Board members, David Ardrey and Andrea Evans, both then affiliated with Southern Illinois University, to explore the establishment of a nonprofit organization to support rural development through the lens of public education. This meeting led to the formation of Rural Schools Collaborative in Cambridge, Wisconsin.

2015: Grants in Place Program Launch

RSC launches a website built around rural education storytelling, amplifying the invaluable role teachers and schools play in rural communities. The Grants in Place program is established, issuing 32 different grants for community-based school projects.


"RSC has added another level of validity and source of connection within the country for teachers and grants."
- Julie Leeth, RSC Founding Board Member (2014-21) - Springfield, MO

2016: Rural Teacher Corps Summit - Mitchell, SD

Drawing on the Community Foundation of the Ozarks model, RSC launches planning grants to build proactive rural teacher recruitment, preparation, and placement programs called Rural Teacher Corps. Growing interest around the teacher corps model leads to a summit in Mitchell, South Dakota, attended by 90 people from nine states.


"We simply must become more intentional in the preparation of future rural teacher leaders."
- Dr. Jim Beddow†, RSC Board Member (2016-22) and Chair Emeritus - Sioux Falls, SD

2016: The Initial Rural Teacher Corps Summit

Read the Story

2017: Regional Hub Network Partnership Launch

As interest in RSC’s ecosystem work grows, the Regional Hub Network is launched to structure authentic partnerships that are locally driven, while sharing resources and building relationships across disparate geographies.



"The ability to see multiple people with shared interests at a table, that's a huge change. Now there are multiple organizations and individuals coming together to achieve success."

- Josh Gibb, President & CEO of Galesburg Community Foundation, RSC Founding Board Member (2014-22) and Chair Emeritus - Galesburg, IL


"We have some wonderful, wonderful folks in public education... And way, way too often they are treated with disdain by those who know no more about what it’s like to spend a day in a hi poverty classroom than I know about walking on the moon. The least I could do would be to take my lone voice and speak out."
- Larry Lee, RSC Board Member, on joining the board (2017-21) - Montgomery, AL

2017: Regional Hubs Formalize Institutional Partnerships

RSC's Regional Hub Network

RSC's Regional Hub network Map

The Regional Hub partnership structure is launched to continue collaborating on authentic local work, including early partners at The Community Foundation of the Ozarks, The University of West Alabama, Galesburg Community Foundation, North State Together, and California State University - Chico, and the Rural Community Alliance.

2017: 3 Year Capital Campaign Begins, led by Dr. Jim Beddow

As the interest in Rural Schools Collaborative’s work to recruit and support rural educators continues to grow, the RSC Board launches an ambitious campaign with the goal of raising $300,000 to build out core programming, such as the Grants in Place and Rural Teacher Corps models. The hope was to allow RSC to move from a volunteer-only organization to one with dedicated staff and robust programs.

The Rural Schools Collaborative: We Believe

2018: Place-Based Education with Teton Science Schools

RSC adds hub partners in New England and North Dakota Small Organized Schools, and joins forces with Teton Science Schools to share out and amplify the power of Place-Based Education through the Place Network school model. Place-Based Education becomes a central tenet of RSC’s grantmaking and storytelling to build on local rural assets and strengthen the bonds between community and classroom. While the local and regional interest in RSC’s model continues to grow, the long-term viability of the organization is uncertain.


“Rural Schools Collaborative began to try to figure out how rural schools, teachers, leaders and community members can all thrive together. Alongside Community Foundations and Schools of Education, this was a grassroots movement with a few people who said, ‘We need to do something about this.'”
- Nate McClennen, RSC Board Member & Chair Emeritus - Jackson, WY

2018: A Place-Based Partnership

Promoting Place-Based engagement is a key element of the Rural Schools Collaborative mission, and we invite you to learn more about our partnership with Teton Science Schools.

Learn More

2019: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Support ‘I Am A Rural Teacher’

Marking a historic turning point for the organization, a collaborative grant from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation supports the National Rural Education Association (NREA), the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, the University of West Alabama, and RSC’s Regional Hub Network to build a national advocacy campaign elevating rural teacher perspectives.


"The first several years of RSC came with some consternation and doubt if we could pull it off. But when we were approached by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, I thought, 'Well hey, maybe we'll be able to hire some smart, young people and move this thing down the road'."
- Gary Funk, RSC Founding Director (2014-21)

2019: RSC Offices Open in Western Illinois

Monmouth College and the Galesburg Community Foundation partner to jumpstart RSC’s hub and new offices in Western Illinois, adding dedicated staff and capacity with support from local partners and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.


"It was the right place with a group of extremely motivated folks at Monmouth College and support from Galesburg Community Foundation - the synergy was there and it complemented RSC's mission and roots - building on all the ideas the founders envisioned."
- Dr. Tammy La Prad, Illinois Regional Hub Contact, RSC Board Member - Monmouth, IL

2019: Entering the National Stage: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Grant

Marking the first national investment in Rural Schools Collaborative, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provides a collaborative grant to launch the I Am A Rural Teacher storytelling project into a national advocacy campaign with the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, the National Rural Education Association, and The University of West Alabama to celebrate rural educator perspectives. The National Rural Education Association partners with RSC to connect rural educator voices to the regional and national dialogue.

2019: The "I Am A Rural Teacher" Campaign

Read the Announcement

2020: Capital Campaign Completes, COVID Halts Local Travel

The COVID-19 pandemic caused many pivots, but RSC’s emphasis on digital marketing and storytelling grows by showcasing the perspective of caring rural teachers in all 50 states through the I Am A Rural Teacher campaign.

2020: COVID-19 Teacher Spotlights
I Am A Rural Teacher Podcast: Voices From the Field Logo


Through the collaborative efforts of regional and national partners, RSC’s offerings continue to grow during the COVID-19 Pandemic, providing a spotlight on the frontline work of rural teachers and launching the I Am A Rural Teacher Podcast and the Educators Advisory Council.

Young Educators' Advisory Council logo
2020: Grants in Place: Godsil Fellows
Mark and Celia Godsil
Mark and Celia Godsil


The Grants in Place program expands through partnership with the Galesburg Community Foundation. $90,000 of generous support from Celia and Mark Godsil, given in honor of Celia’s career as a public school teacher, reflects their belief in the importance of classroom teachers to rural communities.

2020: Rural Stories Become a National Movement
I Am A Rural Teacher Logo


The I Am A Rural Teacher Campaign, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, exceeds its original goals by sharing 132 rural educator perspectives, engaging all 50 states, and attracting thousands of followers on social media.

2020: Capital Campaign Completes

Despite a couple of challenging years, the RSC Board celebrates the close of a successful capital campaign, paired with growing regional and national support, to build out a dedicated staff for RSC’s mission.

I Am A Rural Teacher Campaign

2021: NREA & RSC: The Rural Imperative Initiative

Philanthropic support continues to build. RSC, the National Rural Education Association, and our network of local partners utilize funding to support investment in rural teachers, Place-Based Education, and storytelling as a means of fostering lasting social change.


"It has been a phenomenal board in the past, and I know it will continue to be with new folks on it. I never cease to be amazed with how alike we are as Board people and how different we are as people. But it's reassuring to find out that there are other people just as committed to rural public education."
- Carol Silvey, Founding Board Member (2014-22) & Chair Emeritus on stepping in as the 2021 Board Chair - West Plains, MO

2021: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Support Rural Imperative Initiative

RSC partners with the National Rural Education Association on the Rural Imperative Initiative, a continuation grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to connect rural education to the national policy dialogue and strengthen the newly co-hosted National Forum to Advance Rural Education, held in Indianapolis.

2021: Rural Teacher Corps Growth: $100,000 Catalyst Grant

Significant rural education philanthropic opportunities emerge. These programs are designed to build the capacity of rural-serving institutions to address the rural teacher shortage. An anonymous foundation grants $100,000 to RSC’s Catalyst Fund for four Rural Teacher Corps planning grants to local partners addressing the rural teacher shortage.

2021: Leadership Change: Staying Power, Future Impact

Founding director Gary Funk and his wife Jana Funk establish a $50,000 endowment for RSC, as Taylor McCabe-Juhnke is named as the organization’s first Executive Director.

Headshot of Taylor McCabe-Juhnke
Taylor McCabe-Juhnke
Phinehas adams wheat field unsplash

2021: RSC's Theory of Change

2022: RSC Joins GRAD Partnership and Completes Strategic Planning

As the Founding Board concludes their terms and new leadership is welcomed, RSC partners with Dakota Resources to celebrate its history and adopt a Strategic Vision for 2022-2025.


“Rural Schools Collaborative’s beginnings were so organic and grassroots - it’s amazing how much the organization has grown.”
- Susan Schroth, Northern California Regional Hub Contact & RSC Board Member - Redding, CA


“I challenge us all to truly think outside the box, while always staying grounded in the mission. Don't let people say ‘you can’t’ - tell people to ‘sit back and watch’, use that as fuel. We'll continue to push one another, support each other, and think big.”

- Dr. Jan Miller, Alabama Black Belt Hub Contact & RSC Board Member, on joining the board - Livingston, AL

RSC's 2022 Strategic Planning Meeting "River of Life" exercise, mapping key people, events, and milestones from inception to present.
2022: Helping Rural Students Succeed: GRAD Partnership
GRAD Partnership for Student Success Logo

RSC is invited to participate in a new national effort to support postsecondary success for historically underserved students. RSC joins the GRAD Partnership for Student Success, led by Johns Hopkins University’s Everybody Graduates Center.

2022: Regional Hubs and National Partnerships Grow

RSC's Regional Hub Network grows to 18 organizations across 14 regions, and RSC co-hosts the second National Forum to Advance Rural Education conference with NREA in Green Bay, WI.

2022: 3 Year Strategic Plan

As the Founding Board of RSC’s terms close and new leadership is welcomed, RSC partners with Dakota Resources to celebrate the history and success, and adopt a Strategic Vision for 2022-2025.

2023: Increased National Support for Local Impact

For the first time since 2019, RSC hosts an in-person Regional Hub Summit with advocates, board members, and staff to discuss collective challenges and opportunities as the collaborative network grows.


“So much of the education process is designed to loosen the ties of young people from their rural communities and prepare them for life elsewhere... But we need to engage in the community and engage students in the community.”

- Mike Knutson, RSC Advocate & Board Member on joining the board - Watertown, SD

2023: Patterson Family Foundation Invests in Grants in Place

Patterson Family Foundation provides $150,000 in support for the Grants in Place Program, expanding the reach of Place-Based Education in rural classrooms and communities.

2023: Regional Hub Summit Event in Springfield, MO
As the Regional Hub Network continues to grow, RSC hosts its first-ever Regional Hub Summit to bring together staff, board, and Hub Partners together. This in-person collaborative event is co-hosted by Missouri Ozarks Hub partners in Springfield.
2023: National Forum to Advance Rural Education Growth - Chattanooga, TN

With continued support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, T-Mobile, and a growing number of regional and national sponsors and partners, NREA and RSC co-host the National Forum to Advance Rural Education conference in Chattanooga, TN, breaking records for number of attendees.

2023: Our First Regional Hub Summit

Read about the Inaugural Summit

2024: Rural Teacher Corps Impact and Growth

RSC's Catalyst Grant enters its third year, totaling 13 new Rural Teacher Corps launched. This milestone highlights RSC's commitment to building institutional capacity towards recruiting, preparing, and retaining stellar rural teachers.


“For all the folks that started Rural Schools Collaborative, to everyone that’s working with RSC now – thank you. Thank you for the work that we do collectively to increase opportunities for students in this country.”

- Melissa Harris, RSC Board Member & 2025 Vice Chair - Atlanta, GA

2024: Rural Teacher Corps Success

The Rural Teacher Corps Catalyst Grant completes its third year of funding from the anonymous foundation for a total of $375,000. This launched 13 new teacher corps projects, and attracted more than $1,250,000 in matching dollars and grants to address the rural teacher shortage.

2024: Reconvening Hub Partners In Indianapolis

RSC hosts its second annual Regional Hub Summit in partnership with the Center for Excellence in Leadership of Learning at the University of Indianapolis. The GRAD Partnership expands to six RSC Hub Partners and 50+ rural schools in California, Mississippi, Alabama, Indiana, Missouri, Arizona, and North Carolina.

2024: Celebrating Nationally in Savannah, GA

RSC and NREA co-host NFARE for the 4th year in Savannah, Georgia, with more than 800 registrants for the national conference.

2024: New Grant Strengthens Rural Teacher Corps Network

Margaret A. Cargill Foundation commits $585,000 to strengthen the Rural Teacher Corps learning network and grow RSC’s role in sharing strategies for recruiting, preparing, and retaining rural educators.

2025

RSC turns 10! Thanks for all your support, and we look forward to the next 10 years together.


“Rural America is looking for the next rendition to carry it forward and keep it relevant, and it will look different from my own experience growing up in a small community. What has remained steadfast, though, is the vital role that schools play in small communities.”
- Brian Fogle, RSC Board Member & 2025 Chair - Springfield, MO