Building and Learning from Grow Your Own Educator Initiatives in Rural Communities

This is a recording of a webinar produced on January 11, 2023, by the Region 10 Comprehensive Center serving Wisconsin and Minnesota.

GYO initiatives are an increasingly prominent strategy for addressing educator shortages in school districts across the country, perhaps especially in rural areas. This webinar highlights two examples of rural districts—one in Wisconsin and one in Minnesota—that have established GYO partnerships with nearby institutions of higher education. It also features reactions and comments from the directors of each state’s rural education advocacy organization (i.e., the Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance and the Minnesota Rural Education Association).

By the end of this webinar participants will:

• Understand different types of rural GYO programs being utilized as a strategy for addressing educator shortages
• Learn about two examples of rural GYO initiatives (one each from Wisconsin and Minnesota)
• Hear from experts in the field about how GYO initiatives offer a promising opportunity for meeting educator workforce needs