Teachers in Missouri Ozarks Receive Classroom Grants from CFO
RSC's Missouri Hub partners at the Community Foundation of the Ozarks award five teacher grants
News Release Published by RSC's Missouri Regional Hub Partners, the Community Foundation of the Ozarks on Aug. 25, 2026:
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Five teachers in the Missouri Ozarks have received $500 grants from the Community Foundation of the Ozarks:
- Kolby Ghan, Marionville R-IX
- Kacey Feth, Union R-XI
- Rosa Hester, Willard R-2
- Grace Reed, Mountain Grove R-III
- Jordyn Sigman, Koshkonong R-III
Presented in recognition of their participation in the Ozarks Teacher Corps, the grants were funded through the Rural Schools Collaborative’s Community of Learners program.
“We’re so grateful to call these teachers alumni of the Ozarks Teacher Corps and to provide this grant for their classrooms,” said Beth Hersh, the CFO’s director of scholarships and advisor of the Ozarks Teacher Corps. “Ensuring new teachers are well prepared to serve in rural schools is critical, because school districts are essential to the health of rural communities.”
Kolby Ghan, a teacher at Marionville R-IX School District, received a $500 grant from the CFO to purchase items needed for his classroom. The grant, presented in recognition of Ghan’s participation in the Ozarks Teacher Corps, was funded through the Rural Schools Collaborative’s Community of Learners program.
A graduate of Marionville High School, Ghan joined the Ozarks Teacher Corps in 2024 while studying education at Missouri State University.
“We’re so grateful to call Ghan an alum of the Ozarks Teacher Corps and to provide this grant for his classroom,” said Beth Hersh, the CFO’s director of scholarships and advisor of the Ozarks Teacher Corps. “Ensuring new teachers are well prepared to serve in rural schools is critical, because school districts are essential to the health of rural communities.”
The Ozarks Teacher Corps is part of the CFO’s Rural Schools Partnership, an initiative that links rural schools and the communities they anchor. Teacher-education students attending Missouri State University and Drury University in Springfield, Missouri Southern State University in Joplin and Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau may apply to join the Corps, which offers a $4,000 scholarship, renewable for a second year. To join, scholarship recipients must agree to teach for at least three years upon graduation at a rural school district in the region. Established in 2010, the Ozarks Teacher Corps has become a model for similar programs across the country. To learn more, visit cfozarks.org/rsp.
About the CFO: The Community Foundation of the Ozarks is the region’s largest public charitable foundation serving donors, nonprofit partners and 55 regional affiliates — including the Aurora Area Community Foundation — with $635 million in assets under management as of June 30, 2026. The CFO’s mission is to improve the quality of life for everyone in central and southern Missouri through resource development, community grantmaking, collaboration and public leadership. Learn more at cfozarks.org.