The Ozarks Teacher Corps was launched in 2010-11 as part of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks’ (CFO) Rural Schools Partnership (RSP), an initiative driven by the belief that “public education is a linchpin issue in rural economic development." Ozarks Teacher Corps provides two-year renewable scholarships to teacher-education majors willing to teach in a rural district for at least three years after graduation. This cohort-style program creates a network for young teachers to learn from each other and rural education leaders, and includes partnerships with Teton Science Schools, and local rural-serving higher education institutions including Drury University, Missouri Southern State University, Missouri State University, and Southeast Missouri State University.
Program alumni
Awarded in scholarship support and place-based programs
Rural-serving teachers
Ozark Teacher Corps: Program Essentials
Place-based training
Scholarship opportunities
Networking and mentorship
“What makes our program uniquely impactful lies in its immersive, place-based education model, which equips our students with teaching strategies rooted in real-world community impact. Our approach is experiential — our students engage in place-based learning during two required workshops each year, discovering firsthand how this approach connects classroom learning to students' local community and environment."
- Beth Hersh, Ozark Teacher Corps
“I like it here; it’s a big family. It’s so small, and you get to have students for four years. How are you not gonna love them?”
-Joaly Ray, Ozarks Teacher Corps Alum, Teacher, Forsyth, MO
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Voices from the Field: Nicole Cooper - Waynesville, MO
Guiding a path for the next hometown generation
What We’re Learning So Far: RSC’s Rural Educator Ecosystem Community of Learners
One year into the Community of Learners Project, participants inspire and uplift Rural Teacher Corps efforts nationwide
Rethinking Rural: Lessons from Montana’s Educator Community
RSC Board Chair Brian Fogle Reflects on Rural Teachers, Place, and Possibility
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