High School Rural Teacher Corps
The purpose of the High School Rural Teacher Corps is to create a network of middle and high schools that identify and recruit 6-12th grade students to become teachers and return to our rural communities.
Objective
- The High School RTC Network will collaborate across districts with community colleges and ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ to support future teachers and remove barriers to becoming a teacher.
- The network will provide a forum for schools to share ideas and activities for future teacher groups.
Activity/Opportunities
- Each district decides what elements they include.
- Examples of local activities:
- Create a local future teacher club.
- Meet regularly with the students to meet and learn from practicing teachers.
- Provide opportunities for students to work in classrooms across the district to learn about becoming a teacher.
- Provide opportunities for high school students to meet with undergraduate, preservice teachers to learn about going to college.
- Provide encouragement and support to attend college with activities like FAFSA preparation, financial aid, scholarship opportunities, applying and going to college, etc.
- Provide campus visits to community college and ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ to learn more about attending college and becoming a teacher.
- Participate in annual gathering at ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ to help prepare students to attend college.
- Offer dual credit for courses that will transfer to the teacher education program at ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ.
Partners
These are the districts that were awarded small grants in 2020 to develop future teacher groups and participate in the network discussions each quarter:
- Altamont
- Charleston
- Effingham
- Neoga
- North Clay
- Richland County
- Shelbyville
- Sullivan
- Villa Grove
- Windsor
How to Join
- Schools that are interested in joining the High School Rural Teacher Corps Network should contact Cecil Smith (mcsmith5@eiu.edu).