Ohio

Ohio University Regional Higher Education

Spread across five campuses, Ohio University Regional Higher Education supports communities across southern and eastern Ohio. RSC’s partnership with Ohio University is concentrated in their programs that support teacher education in a wide service area throughout Appalachian Ohio. Dr. Jacqueline Yahn, Ohio University Eastern Middle Childhood Program Coordinator and associate professor of Middle Childhood Education, serves as hub co-lead.

Rural Schools Collaborative’s work in Appalachian Ohio began in 2023, when Ohio University was awarded one of five Catalyst Initiative Grants to plan and launch a Rural Teacher Corps. These locally-designed efforts to intentionally recruit, prepare, and support rural educators, were a natural fit to further develop the Rural Teacher Fellowship pilot program.

• The Rural Teacher Fellowship matches rural educators with experienced mentors and provides professional development in implementing innovative community and career-based teaching practices, all done in partnership with local nonprofit and Hub Partner Building Bridges to Careers (BB2C). This three-year program empowers teachers to incorporate career-connected learning into their classrooms, strengthening and enriching the partnerships between schools and rural communities.

• The OHIO Rural Teacher Corps: The OHIO Rural Teacher Corps, a collaboration between Building Bridges to Careers (BB2C) and Ohio University Eastern, is part of the nationwide Rural Schools Collaborative Rural Teacher Corps Network. This initiative is built on a powerful idea: that successful students, thriving businesses, and strong communities are interconnected—and that future educators play a pivotal role in bridging these elements. The OHIO Rural Teacher Corps is focused on preparing rural educators to implement Community and Career Connected Learning in their future classrooms.

Building Bridges to Careers

Building Bridges to Careers (BB2C) is an Ohio-based nonprofit organization that fosters collaboration between businesses, education, and community to drive career opportunities. Tasha Werry, executive director of Building Bridges to Careers, serves as co-lead for RSC’s Ohio Hub.

• The Rural Teacher Fellowship is a partnership between BB2C and Ohio University Regional Higher Education. A cohort-model Rural Teacher Corps, the Rural Teacher Fellowship provides mentorship, professional development, and resources that empower teachers to connect students to their communities. This three-year program supports teachers throughout southern and eastern Ohio, strengthening the connection between schools, businesses, and communities.

• Professional Development for rural educators is also a core component of BB2C’s efforts to grow Community and Career Connected Learning in Appalachian Ohio. BB2C offers immersive professional development opportunities for educators to integrate career awareness, local partnerships, and real-world learning into their classrooms. Through Teacher Tours and the Community & Career Connected Learning Educator Resource Class, teachers engage directly with local businesses, explore regional economic and workforce trends, and connect academic standards to community and career pathways. These experiences, offered for graduate credit, equip educators with tools to inspire students and align instruction with future career opportunities.

• BB2C’s Real World Problem Scenario (RWPS) program connects educators with local businesses to bring real-world challenges into the classroom. Together, they co-create problem scenarios that align with curriculum goals, allowing students to brainstorm and present solutions to actual business issues. This hands-on experience builds critical and creative thinking, networking, and other career readiness skills by bridging academic learning with real-world application.

• Building Bridges to Careers fosters Community and Career Connected Learning through a variety of real-world, focused learning opportunities. BB2C hosts an annual Community and Career Connected Learning Summit, which brings together business leaders, community organizations, students, and other rural stakeholders to foster engagement and awareness throughout Appalachian Ohio. Moreover, BB2C facilitates career development through a career speaker program, job shadowing, career mentorship, and internships. BB2C also conducts resources and provides educational materials on Community and Career Connected Learning.