State Continues to Invest in Grow Your Own Future Proud Michigan Educator Programs
Michigan Department of Education Press Release LANSING – Ninety-six additional school districts in Michigan will be developing more teachers from within their ranks with Future Proud Michigan Educator Grow Your Own (GYO) staff grants, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) announced today. This is the second round of Grow Your Own grants awarded by MDE, building on the school districts awarded grants in the first round.
GYO staff grants provide opportunities for districts to increase the number of teachers in areas of shortage by supporting school employees seeking initial teacher certification or additional teacher endorsements, in response to their unique local needs for staffing. Each awardee will administer its own GYO program in partnership with one or more educator preparation providers.
“Grow Your Own programs provide an opportunity for schools to develop educators from within their districts and benefit from their successful experiences working with children,” said State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice. “We continue to invest our resources to rebuild the teaching profession in Michigan in partnership with our school districts and teacher preparation providers—all in support of children.”
Grow Your Own programs will help Michigan achieve Goal 7 of the Top 10 Strategic Education Plan of increasing the numbers of certified teachers in areas of shortage.
To date, nearly $128 million in Grow Your Own grants have been awarded to 139 individual school districts and consortia through funds appropriated by the state legislature and signed into law by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. An additional $66.3 million has been appropriated to a statewide consortium called Talent Together for Grow Your Own programs. Awardees will be able to reimburse costs associated with educator preparation on behalf of school staff wishing to pursue initial certification or additional endorsements.
“This second round of grants will fund a significant expansion of GYO programs across the state and help ensure that more students will have access to high quality instruction,” said Dr. Sarah-Kate LaVan, director of MDE’s Office of Educator Excellence (OEE). “We also know that GYO programs tend to put people in the classroom who come from the same communities they serve, improving equity in our teacher pipeline.”
MDE received 104 applications requesting nearly $45 million in Round 2. These requests ranged from less than $6,000 for a public school academy to $15.4 million for an entire intermediate school district (ISD). In some cases, Round 2 awardees were among those awarded funds in the first round of Future Proud Michigan Educator GYO staff grants that wanted to expand their programs to address additional staffing needs. In other cases, Round 2 awardees were among those that did not submit a successful application in the first round.
School districts that want to learn more about the Future Proud Michigan Educator Grow Your Own school staff grants can consult the GYO Grant website or email MDE-PME@Michigan.gov.
Staff who are interested in learning more about financial support for future educators are encouraged to visit Michiganteacher.org and MI Student Aid to learn about funding opportunities for which they may be eligible. To consult a complete list of approved educator preparation programs in Michigan, visit the Michigan Directory of Educator Preparation Providers and Programs.
The recipients of the 2023 Future Proud Michigan Educator Round 2 GYO staff grants are:
Academy for Business and Technology Alanson Public Schools American Montessori Academy Arts Academy in the Woods Arts and Technology Academy of Pontiac Atherton Community Schools Baraga Area Schools Bark River-Harris School District Battle Creek Public Schools Bay City School District Berrien RESA Birch Run Area Schools Bridgman Public Schools Carney-Nadeau Public Schools Carsonville-Port Sanilac School District Center Line Preparatory Academy Central Montcalm Public Schools Cesar Chavez Academy Charlton Heston Academy Cheboygan Area Schools Countryside Academy Covenant High School Grand Rapids Covenant House Academy Detroit Crawford AuSable Schools Crestwood School District Dearborn City School District Delton Kellogg Schools Detroit Academy of Arts and Sciences Detroit Community Schools Detroit Innovation Academy Detroit Leadership Academy Distinctive College Prep Dowagiac Union School District Dryden Community Schools East Jackson Community Schools Eastpointe Community Schools Eaton Academy Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker Schools Evart Public Schools Fostering Leadership Academy Fruitport Community Schools Galesburg-Augusta Community Schools Genesee Intermediate School District Grant Public School District Greater Heights Academy Gull Lake Community Schools Harper Creek Community Schools Hastings Area School District Hazel Park School District Holland City School District Hope Academy of West Michigan Hope of Detroit Academy International Academy of Flint Ionia Public Schools Jalen Rose Leadership Academy Kalamazoo Public Schools Kaleva Norman Dickson School District Kelloggsville Public Schools Kensington Woods Schools Kent Intermediate School District Kentwood Public Schools Lake Fenton Community Schools Lake Orion Community Schools Leslie Public Schools Macomb Intermediate School District Marshall Academy Menominee Area Public Schools Michigan Educational Choice Center Michigan International Prep School Milan Area Schools Mt. Morris Consolidated Schools North Central Area Schools North Huron School District Northridge Academy Novi Community School District Oakridge Public Schools Old Redford Academy Owendale-Gagetown Area School District Owosso Public Schools Pine River Area Schools Portage Public Schools Public Schools of Petoskey Renaissance Public School Academy Rockford Public Schools Saginaw Preparatory Academy Sandusky Community School District Springport Public Schools Summit Academy North Suttons Bay Public Schools Tipton Academy Uplift Michigan Academy Van Buren Intermediate School District Washtenaw Intermediate School District West Branch-Rose City Area Schools West Iron County Public Schools Ypsilanti Community Schools
