Rural Schools Collaborative

10/17/2026

For Jenna Spain, connecting students to their community is part of why this work matters. 💛

Jenna’s work in Maquoketa, Iowa, shows how learning rooted in place can strengthen both understanding and belonging.

Watch Jenna share why she does this work, then explore her story in Place, Purpose, and the Future of Learning: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/a2f393ccdfa44ccf828cf94328521aa6

National Center on Education and the Economy

10/16/2026

𝗥𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀!

Apply now for a grant to launch an innovative Place-Based Education project during the 2026-27 school year. 🍎 🌱

⏳ Deadline: October 30th, 2026 (11:59pm CT)

👉 Learn More & Apply: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeaPWmnxXK4BOjrNw4Z0Lcb9T2rs-3P37KqZ9ekXFDjfQmHBQ/viewform

10/15/2026

🍎 𝗜 𝗔𝗺 𝗮 𝗥𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 🍎

Connor Sullivan returned to his hometown of Colchester, IL, to teach English at West Prairie Jr/Sr High School (West Prairie Community Unit School District 103) and build lifelong community bonds. As an alumnus of WIU College of Education and Human Services' Great River Teacher Corps, Connor champions the unique strengths of rural education and creatively overcomes resource challenges through local partnerships.

Read more about his journey as a rural educator: https://iamaruralteacher.org/stories/i-am-a-rural-teacher-connor-sullivan-colchester-il

10/15/2026

RSC is thrilled to announce the 2026-27 Emergent Educators' Advisory Council! 🎉 The cohort brings together eight new members and three returning mentors to advise RSC on rural teacher advocacy, engage in professional development, and complete a Place-Based Education classroom grant project. Welcome, council members!

Read the full announcement: https://ruralschoolscollaborative.org/news/rsc-announces-2026-27-emergent-educators-advisory-council

10/14/2026

In this episode of 𝘝𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥, BJ shares how she brings diverse global perspectives to a small town and why she encourages educators to "bring your own weird" into teaching.

👉 Listen now! https://ruralschoolscollaborative.org/stories/voice-from-the-field-bj-cross-cascade-montana

10/13/2026

Thank you so much to Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies for co-presenting with us at Grantmakers for Education! We had a wonderful room full of rural education advocates, with the chance to share early learnings from the Rural Teacher Corps community of practice.

10/13/2026

RSC's Southeast Regional Hub partners at COE Rural Education Institute held a GRAD Partnership Fall Launch day. Led by Jacqui Allen, administrators and guests from ten rural North Carolina schools came together to kick off the 2026-27 GRAD Partnership year. 🎉 👏 🙌

10/09/2026

We are incredibly saddened by the passing of John Glasgow, RSC's former colleague and friend. John profoundly shaped RSC into the organization it is today, and continued on to impact all those around him with genuine care and thoughtfulness. Please hold John's family, friends, and community in your hearts.

It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news that our colleague and friend, John Glasgow, passed away yesterday, Wednesday 10/07/26 as the result of a tragic accident.

This is a devastating loss for our AIRSS, ROE26 and NREA family. John was a valued member of our team, and we know this news will be difficult for all of us to process. As shared in this joint message John’s impact on the rural school community extended beyond a single entity, and his commitment, care and support of rural and small schools were felt globally.

Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with John’s family, friends, and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time. We ask that everyone respect the family’s privacy as they navigate this unimaginable loss.

We recognize that each of us processes grief differently, and encourage you to reach out to your own circle of family friends and faith for the support you might need. As we learn more about arrangements and the family’s wishes, we will share that information when appropriate.

Please keep John’s family and loved ones in your thoughts.

David Ardrey – AIRSS
Dave Demler – ROE26
Melissa Sadorf – NREA

10/08/2026

RSC and Teton Science Schools, RSC's Northern Rockies Regional Hub, partnered together to evaluate the 2026 impact of the Grants in Place program. The joint study demonstrates that Place-Based Education significantly boosts student engagement, hands-on learning, and community connection. 🤝 Read the full report: https://ruralschoolscollaborative.org/stories/grants-in-place-2026-impact-results

𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀, 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆?
The 2026-27 Grants in Place program is accepting applications. If you’re a rural public school teacher with an idea, we want to help you make it happen. 🌱 Deadline to apply is October 30. Learn more & apply: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeaPWmnxXK4BOjrNw4Z0Lcb9T2rs-3P37KqZ9ekXFDjfQmHBQ/viewform

10/07/2026

📣 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗥𝗦𝗖 𝗛𝘂𝗯 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 📣

RSC welcomes new South Carolina Regional Hub, Clemson University College of Education. Dr. Kristen Cuthrell, Dean’s Fellow for Rural Education and Outreach, and Dr. Steph Dean, whose work focuses on rural and place-based teacher preparation, serve as Hub co-leads. The team is focused on co-designing futures alongside local schools, elevating rural cultural wealth, and celebrating the strengths already present in rural places.

Read the full announcement: https://ruralschoolscollaborative.org/news/clemson-university-college-of-education-joins-rsc-regional-hub-network