Grow Your Own/Teacher Pathways grant recipients named

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Oregon Department of Education and the Educator Advancement Council are excited to announce the 2020-21 recipients of the Grow Your Own/Teacher Pathways grant, which supports regional and local partnerships to diversify the teacher workforce, implement Oregon’s culturally responsive legislative initiatives, and mitigate and/or eliminate barriers to provide more equitable pathways in education for African American, Black, American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian, Indigenous, Latinx, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Multi-racial teachers. 

The EAC received 27 grant applications, from 9 emerging and 18 existing programs, and at this time 26 grants have been awarded for a total amount of $6.8 million. The grants will support partnerships between the awardees and local school districts, education service districts, community colleges, universities, and community organizations. 

"Grow Your Own programs help to develop and diversify the teaching workforce within local communities, which will reduce the demographic gap between students and teachers in Oregon," EAC Interim Executive Director Dr. Daniel Ramirez said. "Grow Your Own programs create the conditions for community members to become teachers within their local regions and engender collaborative partnerships between educator preparation programs, early learning and K-12 systems."

In accordance with the EAC’s aim to establish culturally sustaining and racially affirming practices and policies across the state, the EAC is investing in GYOs and Teacher Pathway Partnerships.

The funded GYO programs are:

• Beaverton School District
• Blue Mountain Community College
• Chemeketa Community College
• Clackamas Community College
• Clackamas Education Service District
• Columbia Gorge Community College
• David Douglas School District
• Douglas Education Service District
• Eastern Oregon University
• Greater Albany Public Schools
• High Desert Education Service District
• Jefferson County School District
• Klamath Community College
• Lane Education Service District
• Lincoln County School District
• Multnomah Education Service District
• NW Regional Education Service District
• Oregon State University
• Portland Public Schools
• Portland State University
• South Coast Education Service District
• Southern Oregon Education Service District
• University of Oregon
• Wallowa Education Service District
• Western Oregon University
• Willamette Education Service District

For more information please email Dr. Lynne Gardner at lynne.gardner@ode.state.or.us or Emily McCaffrey at emily.mccaffrey@ode.state.or.us.