FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
North State Together Awarded Grant from Rural Schools Collaborative funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
The partnership between North State Together and California State University, Chico was one of five organizations across the country selected as a partner to create regional policy recommendations from rural teachers. North State Together/California State University, Chico were selected for Northern California, one of five rural regions which received awards. Each partner organization selected receives $10,000 in funding to convene and support rural teacher-leaders in the development of a Policy Playbook.
Rural Schools Collaborative, National Rural Education Association, and Community Foundation of the Ozarks are proud to announce the launch of the Rural Imperative Initiative, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This multifaceted program aims to build a compelling national narrative, one that is both evidential and aspirational, and to connect this “story” to state, regional, and national policymakers and influencers.
In order to amplify the influence of rural teachers, Rural Schools Collaborative (RSC) identified five regions throughout the US to convene Rural Teacher Caucuses. These groups’ efforts will culminate in a “Policy Playbook” of local recommendations based on the specific challenges and opportunities in their area. This project will help teacher-leaders connect policy to place in five rural regions: Appalachia, Black Belt, Borderlands, Rust Belt, and Northern California.
Each partner organization receives $10,000 in funding to convene and support rural teacher-leaders in the development of a Policy Playbook. Rural Schools Collaborative is pleased to announce the following regional partners:
- Northern California region: North State Together & California State University, Chico
- Borderlands region: Arizona Rural Schools Association
- Appalachia region: The University of Tennessee – Chattanooga
- Black Belt region: The University of West Alabama
- Rust Belt region: Missouri State University
“Advocating for rural education has been a long-standing priority for each of these five organizations,” says Taylor McCabe-Juhnke, Rural Schools Collaborative Executive Director.
Special thanks to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for their support of this project.
