On Thursday, May 10, Ozark Upper Elementary celebrated the opening of its new network of nature trails and outdoor classrooms with a ribbon cutting attended by many of the 5th and 6th graders the new project will benefit.

The trails–spearheaded by 5th grade science teacher Laura Swick as well as Ozark students participating in the RSP-sponsored GLADE (Green Leadership Academy for Diverse Ecosystems) program–were funded largely through a $1,325 Rural Schools Partnership Student Conservation grant last November, as well as funding from the Ozark chapter of the Youth Empowerment Project. Three GLADE Students–Ozark High School students Michael Withrow and Robert Powell, along with MSU student and Ozark grad Kelsey Rumley– made the project the recipient of their $500 stipend during their time in the program (you can read more about GLADE here).

The grant monies were used to purchase lumber and signage for the trails, equipment to clear brush and mulch to mark the trail (important because of an abundance of poison ivy), and to fund extras like binoculars for bird surveys and GPS for geocaching.

Students put in almost all of the elbow grease to make the trails a reality, Swick says, which makes the trails their own. She also credits the Ozark Upper Elementary administration and PTA for helping leverage the grants into school funding, which included the purchase of a shed for equipment and other much-needed extras like birdseed and maintenance tools.

Greg Swick, director of the GLADE Project, credited the community and school for creating a place that the whole town can enjoy.

“A lot of people came together because environmental stewardship is something we all believe in,” Swick said. “Clean water and a healthy environment is part of the reason we all live here.”

The new class of the South Central Leadership Initiative

The second year of the South-Central Student Leadership Initiative started on Friday, May 4 in West Plains, as 14 students representing seven south-central Missouri school districts attended a kick-off event at Heroes banquet facility. In all, 20 students will represent 10 districts–one junior and one senior per school.

The students were welcomed by CFO’s south-central region staffer, Carol Silvey, of West Plains. The students will have opportunities to learn from both adults and peers through activities that emphasize the RSP’s mission of place-based education that connects rural schools and their communities.

The keynote speaker for the first session was Thayer native and West Plains-based physical therapy professional Mary Sheid. Sheid has held a number of regional and national leadership posts, including a stint as president of the Missouri State University Board of Governors.

Sheid shared her story of growing up in a small town and returning to West Plains to forge a career, and how the limitations of geography haven’t stopped her from seeing the world through volunteerism, professional growth and missions work. She also shared traits of strong leaders, and told the students to take the time to choose where they feel they can put their talents to the best use.

“Leaders take time to get to know themselves,” Sheid said. “You only have so much time and energy, and you need to take the time to figure out where you want to spend it. If you (do that) and truly give it your best shot, more often than not you’ll be successful.”

In the afternoon session, the students heard from Tim Scrivner, the past president of the Skyline School Board, who had a major hand in establishing the Douglas County school’s foundation, as well as its Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

The next session for the students is set for October.

The nine students, representing four Ozarks universities and eight different rural home towns, will receive $4,000 for each of their final two years in college in exchange for a promise to teach at least three years after graduation in a rural school district.

The nine new members–who join a group of seniors entering their second year in the Ozarks Teacher Corps–include:

Jessica Bruce, Missouri State University, from Bolivar

Lillard (Del) Davis, Missouri State University-West Plains, from Mountain Grove

Amy Ginnings, Missouri State University, from Pleasant Hope

Deidre Quackenbush, Missouri State University, from Ava

Patricia Rodriguez, Missouri State University-West Plains, from West Plains

ReBena Sigman, Missouri State University-West Plains, from Cabool

Morgan Spencer, Evangel University, from Stark City

Ashley Tucker, Drury University, from Fair Grove

Myra Yost, Missouri State University-West Plains, from West Plains

The Ozarks Teacher Corps scholarships are made possible by the Chesley and Flora Lee Wallis Scholarship Fund, created by generous donors committed to ensuring advanced education for Ozarks students. The fund supports students involved in the Rural Schools Partnership, an initiative of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks dedicated to strengthening rural schools as anchors of their communities.

The Ozarks Teacher Corps was inaugurated in 2010 with its first group of recipients; since then, most of the program’s members have graduated and accepted positions teaching in rural Ozarks school districts, or are on the path to doing so. The OTC students meet as a group four times a year for field experiences and training opportunities.

In addition to the scholarships, each student will receive a free membership to the Rural Schools Innovation Network, a training and networking program of the Rural School and Community Trust.

The Community Foundation of the Ozarks and Commerce Trust Company awarded $100,500 in Coover grants for school-based projects including local ecology studies, visiting artists, history preservation, energy efficiency, and an on-campus store to teach job skills to special-needs students.

The grants from the CFO’s Rural Schools Partnership were awarded at the recent Rural Schools Rendezvous at the Thomasville Community Center. They are funded through a long-standing partnership with the Louis L. and Julia Dorothy Coover Charitable Foundation Regional Grantmaking Program of Commerce Trust Company.

The Coover Place-Based Education grantmaking program is made possible by the generosity of the late Mrs. Coover, a longtime Commerce Bank employee, who established the Foundation in honor of her husband. Since its inception in 1992, the Coover Charitable Grantmaking program has awarded about $3.3 million to communities and schools across central and southern Missouri.

“If Mrs. Coover could only see the impact her generosity is having on our region, she would be amazed,” said Jill Reynolds, vice president at Commerce Trust Company and incoming president of the CFO Board of Directors.

The grants were awarded to the following schools during the RSP’s annual Rural Schools Rendezvous in Thomasville, Mo., on April 26.

• Placeworks Art Initiative: $20,000 to allow teaching artists to visit regional schools to create art projects that complement other curriculum areas.
• GLADE Mentor Development Program: $15,000 to use its existing field research class at Logan-Rogersville to create a framework to mentor environmental educators at other schools for student conservation projects.
• Nixa-Summit Intermediate: $7,100 for the Gardening’s Rich Opportunities (GRO) program where students in gardening, science and recycling clubs will transform a patch of land into a productive garden.
• Lockwood:  $15,000 to create an outdoor classroom at the South Park to study the ecology and preservation of local prairieland.
• Eminence: $15,000 for digital storytelling program to archive local history and recount historical events in the Shannon County area.
• Dallas County R-1: $15,000 to create the “Bison Bistro,” an on-campus store that will offer job-training skills for special-needs students.
• Aurora Youth Empowerment Project: $3,400 for students to research well-known local history characters to create live storytelling projects and develop a fall fundraiser for the youth philanthropy group’s grantmaking fund.
• Purdy: $11,000 for Purdy Recycling Club to install a 3.5KW solar power panel on the recycling center’s roof to zero out monthly utility costs.

In addition, five schools – Bakersfield, Thayer, Ava, Dora and Hartville – were awarded $5,000 Coover grants to participate in the Place-Based Institute hosted by the RSP and the Rural School and Community Trust in late May at the Rural Education Center on the MSU-West Plains campus.

Dr. Francisco Guajardo (right) speaks with Purdy student Lino Perez during his keynote address in Thomasville.

The Rural Schools Partnership and 100 of its closest friends spent Thursday, April 26 in Thomasville, Mo., where the tenants of place-based education were shared among educators, students and those with a passion for improving rural communities.

The keynote speaker was Dr. Francisco Guajardo, Ph.D., Rural School and Community Trust Vice Chair and
Associate Professor in the Dept. of Educational Leadership University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, Texas. He spoke about the importance of stories, not only in terms of the culture of our communities, but the value of each individual’s personal story. He was also an active participant in each of three breakout sessions, where students from Purdy, St. James and Dora (click here to see videos they presented during their session, plus additional projects) shared RSP-sponsored projects with the Rendezvous attendees.

The business of the day included the awarding of Coover Place-Based education grants (totaling $125,500), the introduction of the new class of the Ozarks Teacher Corps, and an overview of the Placeworks program where schools can apply for a visiting artist to develop place-based art projects. Lunch and mingling rounded out the day.

Look for more on Thomasville, including full lists of grant recipients and Teacher Corps members, in coming days and weeks.

If you’re coming, and you are riding the shuttle from Springfield, you need to be at the Community Foundation of the Ozarks offices absolutely before 7:30 a.m. If you are driving, click here for directions. The official invitation also features the lineup of events.

We look forward to seeing all of our Rural Schools friends and enjoying a day of place-based learning in a place unlike any other.

Robert Mahaffey will be a featured presenter at Missouri State University’s 2011-2012 Public Affairs Conference, held in Springfield, Missouri on April 17-20.  Mahaffey is the director of communications for the Rural School and Community Trust, the premier national advocacy organization dedicated in helping rural schools and communities grow better together. He also serves as president of the Organizations Concerned about Rural Education (OCRE), a national coalition of education, agriculture, community development, technology and utility organizations dedicating to providing a quality education for all rural children and securing the economic future of rural America.

Previously, Mahaffey was vice president of communications for the New American Schools, the publisher and communications director for the National Association of Secondary School Principals and vice president of external relations for the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.

As a West Virginia resident, he is a certified substitute teacher and has a BS degree in political science and English from Brigham Young University and an MS degree in management from the University of Maryland.

Mahaffey will participate in three different panel discussions:

Click here to read more at the CMI website

In the small town of Hartville, Mo. there are a few students and a devoted teacher who prove that with time and effort anything can happen. The culinary program at Hartville High School, better known as ProStart, has been intact for six years. Mrs. Keith, ProStart’s instructor, has been the teacher since it formed. ProStart is a two-year class that teaches students the basics of restaurant style cooking in ProStart I and, then, takes them to another level in ProStart II.

There are currently twenty-two students in ProStart I and seven in ProStart II. ProStart I is offered to any junior interested in learning the basics in restaurant and hospitality training. The culinary program meets once a day for forty-five minutes. During these forty-five minutes, students learn skills such as how to use cooking knives, restaurant management, baking, and nutrition. In ProStart II, students move on to preparing more elaborate meals, and learn more specific aspects of restaurant culinary.

Keith admits that this year’s ProStart II group has been the most devoted and talented group she has seen yet. The group is comprised entirely of senior girls: Carlin Tompkins, Danielle Robertson, Krislynn Woolery, Taylor Arnall, Jenifer Wylie, Mallory Hicks, and Katie Goslee. Five of the girls recently competed against thirty-three teams in a culinary competition at East Central College in Union, Missouri.

Both ProStart I and II are involved in school activities where they fundraise to earn money for the class, which goes towards items they may need, as well as sponsoring an annual end of the year field trip. To fundraise their field trip, the students make smoothies and sell them during lunch period. In addition, the class has begun a catering business called “Touch of Class Catering,” which caters most meetings held in conjunction with the school. ProStart recently held a fundraiser where they sold take-n-bake pizzas modeled after Papa Murphy’s pizzas; they raised over $900 in that fundraiser.

Keith also has her own catering business that she and her daughter run during her spare time. When she is in need of extra help, she hires her students to help cater events. Last summer Carlin, Danielle, Taylor and Katie helped cater Keith’s daughter’s wedding, assisting with everything from food preparation to serving.

The girls in the ProStart II class give all the credit to their teacher when it comes to what they have accomplished. Jenifer says, “I love my teacher! She is honest and I can tell her anything. She makes me a better cook.” Without Keith’s devotion, Hartville Culinary Program would not have gotten where it is today. In fact, Keith would like to expand their operations into a coffee shop and bakery available for both students and the community to relax and enjoy good food during the lunch hours and, perhaps, even a few nights per week. The students in ProStart would be the staff at the restaurant, making and serving the food. They are hoping to begin this new project as soon as they can. We certainly look forward to hearing more about what Hartville culinary will accomplish.

Read on for this week’s newsletter content.

In This Issue

• Ozarks Teacher Corps Chooses New Class
• MARE Turns 25, Announces Scholarship Program (Apps Due April 20)
• You’re Invited to the 3^rd Annual Rural Schools Rendezvous in Thomasville
• Deadline Extended for Scholarship for Student with Cerebral Palsy or Similar Condition
• Today is the Deadline for Pre-Application for Investing in Innovation (i3) Grants
• Dropout Prevention Webinar Set for May 3
• Join the Center for Midwest Initiatives On Facebook, Twitter

New Class of Ozarks Teacher Corps Chosen, to be Introduced in Thomasville

Congratulations to the 2012 class of the Ozarks Teacher Corps. The nine students representing four Ozarks universities will be formally introduced on April 26 in Thomasville, Mo., during the annual Rural Schools Rendezvous. Each recipient is from a rural home town and in exchange for $4,000 for each of their final two years in school, plus a wealth of professional development opportunities will upon graduating agree to teach in a rural district for at least three years.

The goal of the Ozarks Teacher Corps is to develop talented teaching candidates who will explore rural education issues, serve as teacher interns in small schools, and commit to teaching in their respective home communities for at least three years.  The overarching purpose of the Ozarks Teacher Corps is to encourage extremely capable and passionate young people to become educators and return to their rural hometowns as teacher-leaders.

This program is made possible by the Chesley and Flora Lea Wallis Trust, a $1.7 million Community Foundation of the Ozarks charitable fund.

The 2012 Ozarks Teacher Corps recipients are… Read more

Missouri Association of Rural Education Turns 25, Announces Scholarship Program

The Missouri Association of Rural Education recently held its 2012 MARE Conference Feb. 23-25 in Osage Beach, Missouri. The conference marked the 25^th time the organization has convened to support rural schools and educators, and it was part of the organization’s ongoing 25^th Anniversary celebration.

In addition, MARE has announced its annual scholarship program, with an application deadline of April 20, 2012.

The level of economic development of an area is directly related to the quality of education available.  To improve the economic development of rural Missouri, an adequate number of well-trained, dedicated teachers must be available to instruct in rural school districts.

Click here to learn more about the conference and the MARE scholarship

You’re Invited to the Rural Schools Rendezvous in Thomasville, April 26

We’re gearing up for our third annual Rural Schools Rendezvous in Thomasville, Mo., where (among other highlights) we’ll announce the recipients of the 2012 Coover Place-Based Education Grants and introduce the new class of Ozarks Teacher Corps scholarship winners.

This year’s Rendezvous is set for April 26, with keynote speaker Dr. Francisco J. Guajardo, Ph.D., Vice-Chair of the Rural Schools and Community Trust and Associate Professor at the University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, Texas.

A full schedule of events–as well as directions to Thomasville, in Oregon County–are after the jump. RSVP’s requested by Friday, April 13. If you have a stake in place-based education, we hope to see you there.

Read more, see full invite

Deadline Extended for Scholarship for Students with Cerebral Palsy or Similar Condition

The deadline for application for the 2012-13 Christine A. Loetel Scholarship has been extended to April 27, 2012. This scholarship provides financial assistance to a person(s) who has cerebral palsy or a similar disability resulting from damage to the brain, and who desires to obtain an education or training beyond the high school level.

The scholarship with residential component is renewable as long as the renewal criteria is met. Award amounts will be based on the number of eligible applicants and renewals. In total, $20,000 is available for scholarships and $18,500 for residential grants for the 2012-13 academic year.

A PDF application is available on the CFO website. Just click here and enter “Loetel” in the box that says “search for scholarship by name.”

Today is the Deadline for Pre-Application for Investing in Innovation (i3) Grants

The Department has opened the third year of the Investing in Innovation (i3) grant competition for districts, groups of schools, and non-profit organizations to improve student results through innovative practices. This competition invites entities interested in grants of up to $3 million — termed “development grants” — to submit a simplified pre-application through April 9, 2012. The agency also included a new absolute priority in the competition focused on improving parent and family engagement. For more information, please go to http://www2.ed.gov/programs/innovation/. (Note: Applications for “validation grants” and “scale-up grants” will be announced in separate notices in the coming weeks.)

Dropout Prevention Webinar Set for May 3

Register now for “Utilizing the Village: Building Community Support for Dropout Prevention and Recovery Work in Rural Communities.” This May 3, 2012 webinar presents the scope of the dropout problem in rural localities and features two community mobilization strategies that have been effective in building support for impact on this critical issue.

Featured presenters for this event are Doris Terry Williams, Executive Director, Rural School and Community Trust, and Linda Carillo, Principal, College, Career, and Technology Academy, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo School District.

Read more

Follow the Center for Midwest Initiatives on Facebook, Twitter

Join our new online communities on Facebook and Twitter and help CMI share your stories of place-based learning, school foundation building and supporting rural teachers. “Like” CMI’s Facebook page to have our posts appear on your News Feed and comment or follow us on Twitter for quick updates and links to the main CMI site.

The goal of the Ozarks Teacher Corps is to develop talented teaching candidates who will explore rural education issues, serve as teacher interns in small schools, and commit to teaching in their respective home communities for at least three years.  The overarching purpose of the Ozarks Teacher Corps is to encourage extremely capable and passionate young people to become educators and return to their rural hometowns as teacher-leaders.

Read more about the Ozarks Teacher Corps here

This program is made possible by the Chesley and Flora Lea Wallis Trust, a $1.7 million Community Foundation of the Ozarks charitable fund, and also supported by the Henry J. and Lucille J. Straus Scholarship Fund.

The 2012 Ozarks Teacher Corps recipients are:

Jessica Bruce, Missouri State University, from Bolivar

Lillard (Del) Davis, Missouri State University-West Plains, from Mountain Grove

Amy Ginnings, Missouri State University, from Pleasant Hope

Deidre Quackenbush, Missouri State University, from Ava

Patricia Rodriguez, Missouri State University-West Plains, from West Plains

ReBena Sigman, Missouri State University-West Plains, from Cabool

Morgan Spencer, Evangel University, from Stark City

Ashley Tucker, Drury University, from Fair Grove

Myra Yost, Missouri State University-West Plains, from West Plains

Congratulations to all, and we will see you on April 26!