Ohio Hub: Rural Teacher Kickoff Celebration at OUE
ST. CLAIRSVILLE – Ohio University Patton College School of Education and Building Bridges to Careers students were joined by Rural Schools Collaborative Executive Director Taylor McCabe-Juhnke on September 3rd for a back-to-school Rural Teacher Corps Kick Off event at Ohio University’s Eastern campus in St Clairsville.
These two organizations have a long history of supporting rural education throughout the state, and are continuing their collaboration as they anchor Rural Schools Collaborative’s new Ohio Regional Hub.
The Rural Teacher Corps at OU Eastern is a budding program that provides support to a cohort of eight pre-service teachers who are committed to teaching in rural places. Throughout the school year, these students will receive rural-specific training and development, exploring how to bring place and community assets into their future classrooms.
Through local field trips exploring natural resources and history, crafting their personal rural teaching “mottos,” and storytelling workshops, these students will have opportunities to connect both in person and remotely throughout the year.
This program was first conceived in 2023, when Ohio University was awarded one of five Catalyst Initiative Grants from Rural Schools Collaborative. Aimed at addressing rural teacher shortages, these $25,000 planning grants helped rural-serving institutions design and launch a locally-responsive Rural Teacher Corps.
Ohio University Eastern Campus in St Clairsville (photo provided)
The Rural Teacher Fellowship matches rural educators with experienced mentors and provides professional development in implementing innovative community and career-based teaching practices, all done in partnership with local non-profit Building Bridges to Careers.
With new, multi-year support from The Sugarbush Foundation and additional capacity-building from Rural Schools Collaborative’s Community of Learners Project, Ohio University looks forward to see how the OU’s Rural Teacher Corps and Fellows programs continue to grow.
(Ohio University press release)
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