Rural Schools Collaborative

08/25/2026

Longtime RSC friend and rural advocate, Dr. Darris Means is the 2026 Jackie Bezos Researcher in Residence. Congratulations, Darris! 🎉

Read the full announcement:

Introducing Darris Means, PhD., our 2026 Jackie Bezos Researcher in Residence.

08/24/2026

Are you a rural teacher looking for an opportunity for Place-Based Education? 🧑‍🏫

The Grants in Place Program provides individual grants to teachers for innovative Place-Based Education projects that take place during the 2026-27 school year. The application will be available 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟴𝘁𝗵.

Learn more about Grants in Place on our website: https://ruralschoolscollaborative.org/programs/grants-in-place

08/21/2026

Back-to-School with ! 🎒 ✏️ 📓

Hear advice from 2025 Grants in Place Fellow, Lisa Lowenfels. Lisa is a 4th and 5th grade teacher at Kelly Elementary, located on the edge of Grand Teton National Park in northwest Wyoming. Teton Science Schools serves as the anchor for our Northern Rockies hub.

"Learn parent names, know your neighbors (home and school), ask lots of questions and listen closely." -Lisa Lowenfels, Kelly, WY

As rural teachers and students prepare to begin a new year of learning, RSC is excited to cheer you on! 💛

08/20/2026

📣 ICYMI 📣

We are pleased to celebrate the Year Three Impact results from the national GRAD Partnership research team. Over three years, the average chronic absenteeism rate declined from 50% to 40%, a 20% reduction. Average course failure rate declined from 39% to 22%, a 44% reduction. Read the full report ➡️ https://ruralschoolscollaborative.org/news/the-grad-partnership-national-year-three-impact-results

08/19/2026

𝗥𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗽𝘀

What is the Rural Teacher Corps? 🤔

The Rural Teacher Corps is a growing network of diverse organizations all united by a strong commitment to the idea that teachers play a vital role in fostering vibrant rural communities. 💛

Learn more and explore RSC's Rural Teacher Corps network here: https://ruralschoolscollaborative.org/programs/rural-teacher-corps?view=card

08/18/2026

Back-to-School with ! 🎒 ✏️ 📓

Celebrate the new school year with RSC! We asked members of what they are looking forward to this school year and we thought it would be fun to share with YOU. 👏

"This semester I will touch the lives of 117 future educators! This is an increase in our numbers, and I am super excited!" -Rhonda Bishop, Co-Director of the Missouri State University Center for Rural Education and GRAD Partnership Missouri Ozarks Hub Co-lead - Springfield, MO (College of Education at Missouri State University)

We 💛 ! Share your back-to-school excitement in the comments below. 👇

08/14/2026

Led by Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque Program Officer and RSC Iowa Regional Hub lead Josie Manternach, the one-day 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘛𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 event gave rural educators from across northeastern Iowa an opportunity to connect with one another, engage in meaningful professional development, and build community as they prepared for the upcoming school year. 👩‍🏫

Check out the full event story on our website:

The Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque’s fourth annual teacher summit provided rural educators with hands-on professional development, mental…

08/14/2026

Rural Schools Collaborative is honored to announce additional support for the Grants in Place program through the generosity of the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation. With a two-year $60,0000 award, RSC will expand support for rural public school teachers and their communities through place-based grants. 🌱 🎉 💛 Read the full announcement below.

Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation supports rural teacher classrooms through RSC's Grants in Place program.

08/13/2026

Take a look at The GRAD Partnership's three year impact results 👀

Middle and high schools implementing Student Success Systems with the support of GRAD Partnership continue to achieve substantial progress in reducing chronic absenteeism and course failure rates. As schools nationwide continue to struggle with chronic absenteeism and a slow post-pandemic academic recovery, these results add to the evidence that student success systems can produce real progress that accelerates over time. 👏

Read the full report here:https://www.gradpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/GRAD_Year3Report_2026_Final.pdf

08/12/2026

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