A four-year, $2 million U.S. Department of Education award — Project CARE (Collaborative Apprenticeships for Rural Educators) — will support high school students in rural areas of Kentucky as they pursue careers as K-12 teachers.
“Project CARE enhances Western Kentucky University’s partnership with the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) to provide a pathway for future teachers to begin their college preparation in high school through a collaborative dual credit K-12 Teaching and Learning Early College Pathway,” the university said.
Project CARE will support teacher apprenticeship in 10 Kentucky school districts, including Grayson County Schools, beginning in Fall 2024.
“High school students enroll in coursework at KCTCS and WKU with flexible instructional delivery systems, clinical experiences in a residency model, and a network of support, advising, and mentoring,” according to WKU. “Students can earn up to 60 hours towards their bachelor’s degree while in high school, including fulfillment of the Teaching and Learning Pathway, general education requirements, and up to 24 hours of the required Educator Preparatory Program coursework. KCTCS coursework is fully transferable to WKU.”
A unique component of Project CARE is its establishment of a paid Registered Apprenticeship Program for K-12 teachers. Program participants will enter the Registered Apprenticeship Program upon high school graduation. Project CARE’s residential teaching approach allows participants to complete a bachelor’s degree within two years of high school graduation.
Project CARE Director and Principal Investigator, Dr. Susan Keesey, emphasized the opportunities Project CARE will provide for Kentucky students and schools:
“This collaborative partnership between KCTCS, WKU, and high schools provides our district partners the opportunity to choose their future teachers,” she said. “High school students wanting to be teachers learn through a high-quality accelerated program where they are paid for their work. This opens opportunities for many more rural high school students to become teachers which is much needed during this critical teacher shortage.”
WKU and partnering districts are working to find innovative ways to address the teacher shortage. Through Project CARE, members of rural communities can further their education—with the opportunity to do so without leaving those communities.
For additional details, contact the WKU School of Teacher Education. For more information on WKU’s teacher apprenticeship programs, contact Dr. Dennis George, Project CARE Apprenticeship Coordinator at dennis.george@wku.edu.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
