The 91¶ÌÊÓƵ Grow Your Own Center has been awarded a $500,000 grant as part of the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s Grand Challenges initiative. This competitive funding opportunity is designed to tackle some of 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s most pressing issues, and we’re honored to be a part of the effort to advance K–12 education in the state.
Our grant-funded project, the Grow Your Own Collaboratory, aims to address 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s educator shortage by enhancing the professional development of mentor teachers — an essential step in retaining novice teachers. Over the next two years, this project will:
Design, implement and refine a co-created summer mentor teacher training retreat.
Conduct research to evaluate the retreat’s impact on teacher satisfaction and retention.
Build a sustainable mentor teacher professional development program to be scaled statewide through the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ Grow Your Own Center.
This collaborative effort brings together partners from across the UT System, educators, school districts, educator preparation providers and external partners dedicated to education. Together, we are building a sustainable infrastructure to improve teacher retention and ensure that every 91¶ÌÊÓƵ student has access to exceptional educators.
This grant is one of several awarded through the UT System’s Grand Challenges initiative, which invests in projects addressing issues like advancing K-12 education, strengthening rural communities and overcoming addiction.
We are deeply grateful for your ongoing support and commitment to the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ Grow Your Own Center. This milestone is a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation in achieving our mission to end teacher shortages and strengthen the educator pipeline in 91¶ÌÊÓƵ.