John Glasgow, Partnerships Manager, Monmouth, IL

As the Partnerships Manager, John works with other staff to oversee key RSC initiatives, fosters relationships with new and existing partners, and promotes the work of RSC and its partners through writing and relationship building. John also assists the director of communications at the Galesburg Community Foundation to conduct interviews and share stories.

Growing up in rural Illinois, John saw how communities could rally together to seek meaningful action on local issues. Inspired by these acts of collaboration, John continued his studies of the power and politics of change through his B.A. in political science and Chinese at Macalester College. Returning to his small-town roots, he focused his master’s research at the Johns Hopkins University-Nanjing University Center for Chinese and American Studies on the intersection of social issues, political structures, economic development, and environmental action in rural communities.

Previously, John served as a Research Assistant for RSC, providing support for the I Am a Rural Teacher Campaign and the Rural Education Initiatives and TARTANS Rural Teacher Corps at Monmouth College. He also was a Project Lead for the Cultivating Community Project, which highlighted the ways in which schools and communities collaborate to support student-focused policies and practices.

Self-described as a “lifelong student,” John has long valued the power and impact of schools, teachers, and education in rural communities. He is overjoyed to work from his hometown to give back to small towns far and wide, and to learn more about place-based education, local philanthropy, and community organization in the process.