Mississippi State University and William Carey University are partnering up to bring the Magnolia State into a national collaborative focused on building rural communities through education.
The Rural Schools Collaborative, which works to sustain rural communities by addressing teacher shortages through philanthropy and promoting place-based learning, is adding Mississippi educators and advocates through an MSU-WCU partnership called the Mississippi Rural Education Association.
“With Mississippi joining this group of advocates, we hope to build a community that crosses sectors from early childhood through post-secondary education,” Amanda Tullos, rural education project manager for MSU’s Social Science Research Center, said.
The Rural Schools Collaborative operates 17 regional hubs across the U.S. which not only share information, but work side by side on authentic projects and pursue funding opportunities. All of the projects operate in support of nonurban schools and communities.
“Our goal is clear — equip educators with the tools to ensure every child in rural communities receives a quality education,” Teresa Poole, WCU’s dean of the School of Education, said.
The Mississippi Rural Education Association, a chapter of the National Rural Education Association, is co-chaired by MSU’s Tullos and Patti Permenter, associate director of WCU’s Program of Research and Evaluation for Public Schools.
While MSU contributes insight to the RSC through such initiatives as the Mississippi Education Policy Fellowship program, which trains professionals with a direct interest in education policy, WCU provides impact with such projects as the “Grow Your Own” partnership, a fast-track education option for high school students seeking a career in teaching.
More on the RSC can be found here.
