RSC: 3 Year Strategic Directions (July 2025 - June 2028) and Annual Action Plan
Based on insights from the February 2025 Strategic Planning Board Retreat, RSC has identified seven strategic directions to guide our work over the next three years.
Through a keen focus on place, teachers, and philanthropy, RSC’s mission is to build sustainable rural communities. In order to hold our organization accountable and keep us driven towards our mission, annual action plans and strategic directions are a long-standing initiative taken on by the RSC Board of Directors since our launch in 2015. The board approved the following strategic directions for the next three years, under the leadership of current board chair, Brian Fogle:
Based on insights from the February 2025 Strategic Planning Board Retreat, Rural Schools Collaborative identified seven strategic directions to guide our work over the next three years. These priorities, along with specific goals and actions, will help strengthen our impact and sustainability:
Reinforce Commitment to Rural Educators
Design & Refine Network Structure
Refresh Theory of Change
Build Internal Capacity to Match Strategic Outreach
Explore Sustainable Funding Models
Define Rural Advocacy Role
Measure Impact: Outputs & Outcomes
Strategic Planning Horizons Framework - shared with permission from Dakota Resources
In Fiscal Year 2026, Rural Schools Collaborative will:
Complete year one of The Rural Educator Ecosystem: Community of Learners to deepen intentional efforts to recruit, prepare, and retain rural educators.
Grow the number of teachers impacted by the Grants in Place Program.
Engage research partners to measure and assess program impact and opportunities.
Consult with Hubs Committee Chair, staff, board, and regional partners, to define collective actions towards an engaged and impactful hub network.
Adopt a quarterly communications plan for partner storytelling, rural teacher narratives, and network connection.
Advance sustainable funding and capacity models through adoption of a multi-year roadmap outlining revenue, reserve, and organizational sustainability goals.
Conduct a Theory of Change review session and establish organizational advocacy guidelines by Q4 2026.
As a collaborative, we know that we are strongest when we work together. Thank you for your continued support of our work - Rural Schools Collaborative looks forward to sharing our progress and accomplishments to come!