EIU Rural School Initiative

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 EIU 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 EIU to learn more about attending college and becoming a teacher.
  • Participate in annual gathering at EIU to help prepare students to attend college.
  • Offer dual credit for courses that will transfer to the teacher education program at EIU.
    
    
    

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 Brian Reid (bdreid2@eiu.edu).