The future of our local rural classrooms just got a little brighter! On January 29th, students from across the region gathered for the inaugural meeting of the Regional Rural Future Teacher Club, marking a significant milestone in how our community cultivates the next generation of educators.
This initiative is made possible by the CTE Education Career Pathway Grant, awarded by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). While funded by ISBE, the grant is fueled by a powerhouse collaboration between the Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools (AIRSS), the Regional Office of Education 26 (ROE 26), and Western Area Career System 265 (WACS). Together, these partners are working to ensure that our regional rural schools remain staffed by passionate, homegrown talent.
Inside the First Event: Connecting and Designing
The first of three events scheduled for this spring was packed with inspiration and collaborative planning. Students engaged in several key activities designed to jumpstart their journeys into the profession:
- Learning from Local Leaders: Students heard from two guest speakers who are currently serving as educators within their home districts. Both speakers shared their personal journeys of choosing to return home to teach, which provided a firsthand look at the impact and fulfillment of serving one’s own community.
- Club Blueprinting: Schools participated in a workshop to help design their local Future Teacher Clubs. This activity allowed students and staff to brainstorm what their specific school chapters will look like and how they can best serve their unique student bodies.
- Building a Regional Network: An interactive “meet and connect” activity allowed students to break out of their school silos. Aspiring educators from different districts began forming the friendships that will support them throughout their journey.
- Grant Opportunities Overview: The session concluded with a detailed look at what the CTE grant offers, from dual-credit opportunities to specialized resources designed to give rural students a competitive edge in the field of education.
Growing a Local Legacy
Currently, the grant is working closely with five area schools to pioneer this program: Astoria, Hamilton, Spoon River Valley, VIT, and West Prairie.
While these five schools are the founding members, the vision is expansive. Over the next couple of years, the partnership aims to grow the Regional Rural Future Teacher Club to include other schools across the west central portion of Illinois, creating a robust network of support for the region’s future faculty.
A Three-Fold Mission for Our Schools
The program is a strategic investment in our region’s stability, focusing on three primary pillars:
- Pathway Endorsements: Establishing an Education College and Career Pathway Endorsement to give students a structured head start on teaching credentials. The grant team will provide each student with an individual plan to help them achieve their goals and support them through the process.
- Regional Connection: Connecting small-town students with area peers, exposing them to resources and mentors they might not otherwise have.
- Recruiting Homegrown Talent: Encouraging students to return to their roots to teach in the communities that raised them.
With the combined expertise of the grant team, AIRSS, ROE 26, and WACS, our aspiring educators have a robust support system cheering them on. For information related to this grant, please contact the grant director, Lisa Litchfield, at llitchfield@roe26.net.
