Missouri Ozarks
Our Missouri Ozarks Hub hosts are the Rural Schools Partnership & Ozarks Teacher Corps, programs of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.
Community Foundation of the Ozarks & Missouri State University
The Rural Schools Collaborative and the Community Foundation of the Ozarks' Rural Schools Partnership continue to collaborate on building strong rural school communities. Beth Hersh, Community Foundation of the Ozarks (CFO) Director of Scholarships, and Dr. Barri Tinkler, Dean of the College of Education at Missouri State University, coordinate Rural Schools Collaborative's rural initiatives in the Missouri Ozarks region.
Missouri State University opened the Center for Rural Education in 2023, and is co-led by Dr. Diana Piccolo and Dr. Rhonda Bishop. Housed in the College of Education, the center serves as a hub to organize and promote rural school outreach and partnerships. Additionally, The Community Foundation of the Ozarks's Rural Schools Partnership was established in 2009, and it serves more than 50 counties in southern Missouri. The Rural Schools Partnership includes the following efforts:
An endowed program that supports the development of teacher-leaders for rural Ozarks school districts. Built on working partnerships with Missouri State University--West Plains and Drury University, the Ozarks Teacher Corps has a placement/retention rate of 93%. In the spring of 2019 an extensive report was released on the impact of the Ozarks Teacher Corps.
Coover Regional Place-based Grants Program
Since its inception this effort has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars to place-based education efforts throughout the region. This is the flagship program of the Rural Schools Collaborative's Grants in Place program.
The Rural Schools Partnership works with more than 70 rural school foundations and has created more than $27 million in permanent rural education assets.
RSC’s long-standing relationship with so many educational leaders in the Missouri Ozarks is a source of pride and confirmation that investing in rural communities is essential to their stability and success. To see more of our partners’ work, explore below.
Spotlight

Ozarks Teacher Corps: Rural Place-Based Learning in Missouri
We joined Teton Science Schools, Community Foundation of the Ozarks, and several RSC Grants in Place veteran teachers at a collaborative, rural teacher corps training in the Missouri Ozarks Hub. The future is bright for these aspiring rural educators!
Rural Schools Collaborative recently visited the Missouri Ozarks Hub, home to the Ozarks Teacher Corps, a program dedicated to recruiting and supporting rural educators. Led by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks and Missouri State University’s Center for Rural Education, the initiative offers scholarships, training, and mentorship in exchange for a commitment to teach in rural schools. With a 90% retention rate, it’s a national model for rural teacher corps programs.
During the visit, participants engaged in Place-Based Education training with Teton Science Schools and heard from veteran rural teachers who have led impactful community projects. The resounding advice? Embrace new opportunities, seek support, and build strong community connections.
For future teachers like Michaela Bledsoe and Nicole Copper, the program has been transformative, helping them forge connections, explore their local history, and prepare for meaningful careers in their hometowns. Learn more about this inspiring initiative!
Read MoreMore news and stories from our Missouri Ozarks Regional Hub:

GRAD Partnership Rural Cohort Announces 30 New Schools
New Rural Cohort Intermediaries welcome in 30 new schools to the GRAD Partnership for Advancing Student Success Systems.

Three New Intermediaries Join the GRAD Partnership and Rural Schools Collaborative’s Rural Cohort
RSC’s Regional Hubs in Arizona, Missouri Ozarks, and the Southeast will become Grad Partnership Intermediaries and join the project starting this fall.

Ozarks Teacher Corps: Rural Place-based Learning in Missouri
We joined Teton Science Schools, Community Foundation of the Ozarks, and several RSC Grants in Place veteran teachers at a collaborative, rural teacher corps training in the Missouri Ozarks Hub. The future is bright for these aspiring rural educators!

Celebrating the Community Foundation of the Ozarks’ nationally recognized Ozarks Teacher Corps
The Community Foundation of the Ozarks Teacher Corps is a local exemplar of collaboration, and a national model used to strengthen rural teacher pipelines.