Rural Schools Collaborative Receives $1.2 Million Grant from ECMC Foundation to Strengthen Rural Educator Pipeline

Rural Schools Collaborative is honored to announce a $1,199,000, three-year grant from ECMC Foundation for The Rural Educator Ecosystem: Community of Learners. This new investment builds on the momentum of the recently announced $585,000 grant from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, underscoring the growing recognition of the vital role rural educators play in fostering vibrant rural communities.

Rural Schools Collaborative's transformative initiative is designed to strengthen the recruitment, preparation, and retention of rural educators while fostering sustainable, community-driven solutions for rural schools and their communities. At the heart of the community of learners is our diverse network of partner organizations, who are all united by a strong commitment to uplifting rural places through education.

Since its founding in 2015, Rural Schools Collaborative’s network has advocated for "intentionally rural" teacher initiatives, leading to the formation of the Rural Teacher Corps Network. In partnership with philanthropic organizations, RSC provided Catalyst Initiative support grants to 18 emerging Rural Teacher Corps programs over the last four years, totaling an investment of more than $400,000.

Cumulatively, these efforts support the creation of a national Community of Learners that seeks to facilitate critical research to assess program impact and amplify the voices of rural educators through storytelling and collaboration. By leveraging the combined support of these foundations, we aim to grow and sustain programs that recruit, prepare, and retain passionate educators dedicated to rural schools and students.

The Rural Educator Ecosystem: Community of Learners will directly aid the growth of the Rural Teacher Corps Network and strengthen their impact. By fostering collaboration among pre-service and current teachers, program leaders representing higher education institutions, philanthropic organizations, and community partners, we hope to address systemic challenges in rural teacher recruitment and retention.

"This investment is a vote of confidence for what we do, and how we do it. Rural educators are the cornerstone of our communities, and this work is essential for ensuring their long-term success," says Brian Fogle, RSC Board Chair.

The ECMC Foundation grant will directly support The Rural Educator Ecosystem: Community of Learners through the following initiatives:

• Establish a Community of Learners to connect rural-serving organizations. We will facilitate knowledge sharing, catalyze funding strategies, and elevate best practices for recruiting and retaining diverse rural educators through in-person events, site visits, and capacity-building grants.

• Develop a Comprehensive Data and Research Strategy in partnership with education experts. This will evaluate programmatic impacts, build alumni tracking systems, and provide valuable insights for the under-researched field of rural education.

• Share Nationally Effective Strategies through authentic storytelling, unique profiles, and disseminating resources. This narrative work will inspire innovation and support the growth of Rural Teacher Corps programs nationwide.

  

Dr. Miller also shares, “the support from ECMC Foundation and Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies is a testament to the growing recognition of the vital role rural teachers play in building thriving schools and communities."

By working together with our diverse network of partners, we amplify our collective efforts to take findings, stories, and strategies, and data, and turn them into meaningful impacts for rural teachers and schools. Collaborative work is not only more effective, but it drives real progress, directly impacting the rural teacher pipeline and ensuring that educators are equipped to thrive in their communities.

We are deeply grateful to ECMC Foundation for their belief in the power of rural education and helping us champion the teachers and communities that make it thrive.

About ECMC Foundation

ECMC Foundation is a national foundation whose North Star goal is to eliminate equity gaps in postsecondary completion by 2040 so that underserved learners have greater opportunity for social and economic mobility. The Foundation’s mission is to improve higher education for career success among underserved populations through evidence-based innovation. ECMC Foundation makes strategic grants and program-related investments to support both nonprofit and for-profit ventures, guided by a strategic framework which aims to advance systemic change by removing barriers to postsecondary completion; building the capacity of organizations, institutions and systems; and transforming the postsecondary ecosystem. Learn more about ECMC Foundation by visiting www.ecmcfoundation.org and our parent company, ECMC Group, by visiting www.ecmcgroup.org.