Pacific Northwest

Through the rural-focused programming at Eastern Oregon University's College of Education, our Pacific Northwest partners are helping to inspire the next generation of rural educators in Oregon and Washington. Dave Dallas, Senior Instructor at the College of Education, serves as the hub contact for the region.

Eastern Oregon University, based in the high desert of Le Grande, OR, hosts Rural School Collaborative’s Pacific Northwest Hub. Eastern Oregon University prides itself on its historic and ongoing work in teacher education, and is officially designated as ‘Oregon’s Rural University.’ Through a grant opportunity offered by the Educator Advancement Council of the Oregon Department of Education, Rural Schools Collaborative Hub contact, Dave Dallas, and his team established Teach Rural Oregon (TRO). Teach Rural Oregon focuses on recruiting, training, and supporting educators in Oregon’s rural and isolated districts, and is run in partnership with the local Wallowa Region 18 ESD.

TRO engages each step of the teacher pipeline, beginning with the Eastern Oregon Teacher Academy. This early outreach program engages high school students and paraprofessionals convene for in person professional development. Preservice teachers from EOU’s community college partners also have an opportunity to participate in the junior field study program at a rural school with housing, food, and a stipend all provided for by the university. Teach Rural Oregon also offers the Cottonwood Crossing Teacher Institute, a week-long , place-based training camp showing students how to bring science, writing, and reading together in a curriculum responsive to local context.

To learn more about the exciting work happening in the Pacific Northwest, explore below.