Illinois, Rural Teacher Corps, Community of Learners

Rural Teacher Corps Spotlight: Great River Teacher Corps at Western Illinois University Strengthens the Rural Educator Pipeline

Grounded in regional partnership and place-based preparation, WIU’s initiative invests in future teachers committed to rural schools

February 27, 2026 |

Students in the Great River Teacher Corps at Western Illinois University (WIU).

Dr. Jim La Prad

Since 2019, Western Illinois University (WIU) and Rural Schools Collaborative (RSC) have partnered to support new rural educators across the Great River region of western Illinois through the Great River Teacher Corps. Coordinated by Dr. Jim La Prad, Director of WIU’s School of Education, the collaboration builds on the university’s long-standing mission: preparing excellent teachers to serve the largely rural communities of Illinois.

Founded in 1899 as Western Illinois State Normal School, WIU began with a singular purpose of preparing teachers for the state’s grammar schools. More than a century later, that commitment continues. Today, WIU plays a vital role not only in producing classroom teachers and school leaders, but also in strengthening the broader education ecosystem of west-central Illinois by convening regional offices of education, school districts, community colleges, state leaders, and local communities. WIU is a hub lead for RSC’s Illinois Hub.

“The value of being a hub lead is that it strengthens our rural teacher corps. Teaching is hard, and we all are stronger together. When you have people with common experiences, that makes a difference. That's the seed of collaborative work, not only for themselves as teachers, but for their schools, and then to pass that onto their students and that builds stronger communities.”

- Dr. Jim LaPrad, Director of WIU’s School of Education

Illinois faces a significant educator workforce challenge. WIU estimates that 20,000–24,000 new educators are needed statewide, a problem worsened by a decline in enrollment in teacher preparation programs of 55% between 2008 and 2020. Furthermore, WIU estimates that approximately 58% of Illinois school districts are rural, where teacher shortages are felt most acutely. These realities are especially pressing in rural central and western Illinois. The Great River Teacher Corps (GRTC) was created as a direct, regional response.

Launched in 2019 with support from RSC’s Catalyst Initiative, the GRTC recruits and prepares highly talented undergraduate students to serve in rural schools across 22 counties in west-central Illinois. The program provides:

$12,000 in scholarship funding per participant
Rural-focused professional development
Asset-based and Place-Based Education
A service-learning component grounded in real rural school contexts

The GRTC is intentionally student-centered and regionally focused. Participants engage in value-added, place-based learning experiences that explore issues facing rural districts, from staffing challenges to community engagement and policy barriers.

“We want our teachers to learn about Place-Based Education, to use it in the classroom, but maybe most importantly, we want them to be facilitating with their students, whether they become teachers or not. It's like they're valuing their place, and they're valuing the honor of that community, and that's the most important piece, because that's for all the community. That's why it's not just about good teaching or good pedagogy. It's about the sustainability of communities.”

- Dr. Jim LaPrad, Director of WIU’s School of Education

WIU Teacher Education students supporting WIU's Future Teachers Day.

Equally important are the partnerships behind the program. GRTC administrators collaborate closely with Regional Offices of Education, district superintendents, and community leaders across the 22 counties. These partners help identify scholarship candidates and play a direct role in hiring program graduates, creating a seamless pathway from recruitment to preparation to placement. The result is not simply filling empty classrooms, but the cultivation of educators who understand and value rural communities from day one.

A signature event to recruit rural teacher candidates is the WIU’s Future Teachers Day (FTD) which was held this year on February 6, 2026. The third-annual Future Teachers Day welcomed more than 180 high school students and chaperones from 24 high schools across the region. The goal of these events is to get high school students excited about becoming teachers while embracing partnerships across the region.

“Seeing so many young folks excited about the prospect of teaching gives me a lot of hope for the future of education. Their energy and enthusiasm made it easy to lead sessions and share about our education programs while WIU student leaders played a huge role in keeping them engaged. The biggest value of Future Teachers Day is keeping the momentum going so we can keep filling the educator pipeline with the very best people.”

- Hollie Mason, Assistant Professor of Special Education

Student attending WIU's Future Teachers Day meeting the university's mascot.

During this event, high school students learned about WIU's teacher education programs, toured campus and learned about WIU's scholarships, including the Great River Teacher Corps. They met with current college students and heard about their experiences at WIU and their teacher education programs. Break out sessions were held for Agriculture, Art, Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle Level, Music, Physical Education, Secondary English, History, Foreign Languages, Math, & Science Education Programs and Special Education.

“Future teacher day allows our educational programs to showcase what we have to offer in a different way. You can talk to students who are actually in your major and learn specifically about the college of education rather than the entire university.”

- Cadde Goldstein, Student Leader and Junior Special Education Major

By recruiting students with regional ties and grounding their preparation in the realities and strengths of rural Illinois communities, the Great River Teacher Corps strengthens the likelihood that graduates will remain and lead in the communities they serve. From its beginnings as a normal school in 1899 to its present-day rural teacher pipeline strategy, Western Illinois University has consistently aligned its mission with the needs of rural Illinois. By investing in future educators who are prepared, connected, and committed to rural communities, WIU continues its legacy: building teachers who build rural schools.

This spotlight series highlights Rural Teacher Corps. Rural Teacher Corps are intentional efforts to recruit, prepare, and retain rural teacher-leaders. These 20+ programs work together to tackle the rural teacher shortage. Learn more about the Great River Teacher Corps and the Rural Teacher Corps Learning Network here.

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