Catalyst Grants Initiative Supports the Development of New Rural Teacher Corps Efforts
Grants awarded to Morehead State University, University of Wisconsin-Platteville, University of North Dakota, and University of Wyoming
Rural America, for all of its wonderful assets, faces a variety of challenges, including several that are directly related to public education. Three particularly troubling issues that affect all rural regions are bright flight, the erosion of social capital, and the rapidly accelerating rural teacher shortage. The Rural School Collaborative believes in addressing these problems in a synergistic manner. The rural teacher corps model squarely tackles these issues, and it is a concept that resonates with groups that have become key partners for our organization.
Intentional efforts to recruit, prepare, and place motivated teacher-leaders in underserved rural communities leverage public schools, which are one of rural America's primary assets. As corporatization, consolidation and state budget cuts have reduced the number of rural small businesses, healthcare facilities, and social service programs, the "local school" is often the last remaining vestige of rural “institutional infrastructure." Therefore, the rural teacher corps concept not only has the potential to strengthen schools and improve instruction, but it also provides a sustainable vehicle for attracting young professionals to remote rural places in need of the energy, ideas, and creativity that young people bring (i.e. social capital).
The Rural Schools Collaborative’s 2021 Catalyst Grants Initiative provides planning grants to support the establishment of four new rural teacher corps programs. This cohort-based effort guides participants through the planning, development, and launch phases of new and intentional rural teacher preparation programs. RSC staff facilitates the program and provides consulting and technical assistance. In addition, the cohort benefits from the experiences and collective wisdom of RSC’s Rural Teacher Corps network members.
We are proud to announce that this year’s cohort will include the following outstanding universities, all of which are connected to RSC Regional Hubs:
- Morehead State University (Appalachian Hub)
- University of Wisconsin-Platteville (Driftless Hub)
- University of North Dakota (North Dakota Hub)
- University of Wyoming (Northern Rockies Hub)
Each institution will receive a $25,000 planning grant to support their program development. Planning grants are essential to capacity building, and they provide external support, early flexible dollars, and opportunities to leverage the experiences of a network of peer programs that have successfully moved from ideation to practice. Also, planning grants serve as “votes of confidence” for individuals or groups striving for positive change in their respective institutions and rural regions.
RSC’s board chair, Carol Silvey, said, “We believe that $25,000 planning grants for the four partners will support tailored efforts to plan, build capacity for, and launch targeted rural teacher corps efforts over the course of a given year.” Silvey added, “This project aligns perfectly with our organizational mission.”
Taylor McCabe-Juhnke, RSC Co-Director, noted the flexibility of the program. “These grants can support any number of needed action steps including planning meetings, site visits, consulting support, marketing materials, or even stipends for students. We want our partners to have room for creativity!”
The Catalyst Grant Initiative is supported by RSC’s Catalyst Fund, a philanthropic venture effort that has provided more than $200,000 in planning and development support since 2016. This year’s program was made possible by a generous anonymous donation.