Rural Teacher Corps Spotlight: University of Central Missouri Rural Schools Initiative

The University of Central Missouri’s Rural Schools Initiative and the UCM College of Education work together to support students and teachers across rural Missouri. Over half of the state’s schools are rural, with their own unique challenges and opportunities. The Rural Schools Initiative at UCM is designed to bridge rural partners in their efforts to recruit and retain highly qualified teachers while helping rural districts to thrive. 

Led by Dr. Charlene Atkins, contact for Rural Schools Collaborative’s Missouri Hub, the University of Central Missouri Rural Schools Initiative is part of the Rural Educator Ecosystem: Community of Learners. Learning alongside more than 20 partner organizations, this network aims to grow and sustain programs that recruit, prepare, and retain passionate educators dedicated to rural schools and students. The UCM College of Education Rural Schools Initiative is supported by a team of people comprising UCM Education faculty members, rural K-12 administrators and Central Regional Professional Development Center representatives.

The Rural Schools Initiative is growing. Their focus is on providing opportunities to bring together rural school districts, rural-serving teachers, and pre-service teachers interested in rural education. Currently, they host two annual Rural School Summits and ongoing professional development opportunities. The summits, hosted each spring and fall, offer a day-long networking event at UCM with experts in different fields, plus the chance to meet with student teachers seeking jobs.

In addition to these opportunities, the Rural Schools Initiative Scholarship Award program offers a 20% tuition scholarship for any Missouri rural district employee enrolled in any graduate program at UCM, growing teacher-leaders and school administrators in rural communities. 

While networking and placement opportunities as well as professional development and scholarships are central to the work, the Rural Schools Initiative is also developing creative ways to attract teachers to the profession. One such way is through the creation of clear pathways to certification for paraprofessionals. By leveraging caring adults who are already working in rural classrooms, the Initiative is helping schools grow their own educators and address teacher shortages.

UCM is also looking to encourage young kids to explore rural teaching through a special intergenerational experience. Grandparent University brings rural students and their grandparents together for a unique, hands-on introduction to college life. The experience gives students the opportunity to explore potential careers, discover what higher education has to offer and build lasting memories with a supportive grandparent by their side. By combining career exploration, hands-on learning and meaningful time together, Grandparent University helps rural students see themselves as future college students and opens the door to new possibilities.

For rural schools, access to high-quality computer science education can be particularly valuable. UCM also helps to integrate computer science into rural classrooms, helping foster improved technology literacy and giving students skills that can open doors to college and career opportunities. This gives students opportunities to explore fields that may not otherwise be part of their day-to-day experience while helping teachers incorporate emerging technologies into their classrooms.

These efforts reflect a larger goal of the UCM Rural Schools Initiative: creating stronger connections between rural schools, universities and the communities they serve. Rural schools often have deep connections to the communities they serve, and educators who understand those communities can bring valuable perspective and continuity to the classroom. By creating opportunities for aspiring teachers to build relationships with rural districts early in their preparation, UCM is helping establish connections that can lead to long-term careers in rural education.

This spotlight series highlights Rural Teacher Corps. Rural Teacher Corps are intentional efforts to recruit, prepare, and retain rural teacher-leaders. These 20+ programs work together to tackle the rural teacher shortage. Learn more about the University of Central Missouri’s Rural Schools Initiative and the Rural Teacher Corps Learning Network here.