Education Resources
When rural schools thrive, so do the towns and regions around them.
Read more about the organizations supporting rural education as well as grant opportunities available to educators.
Organizations
Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance
Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance (WiRSA) provides a unified voice for rural schools at the local, state, and federal levels, celebrates the achievements of rural schools and curates research, news, events, and resources for rural educators, including the annual WiRSA conference.
The mission of the collaborative is to build sustainable rural communities through a keen focus on place, teachers, and philanthropy. That mission is realized through four signature efforts: The Place Network, Rural Teacher Corps, Grants in Place, and Impact Philanthropy.
Rural Education & Research Implementation Center (RERIC)
RERIC conducts rigorous, sophisticated, and interdisciplinary research responsive to needs identified by rural schools and communities; promotes implementation of evidence-based practices in rural school settings; and facilitates engagement among researchers, practitioners, families, and youth to maximize educational outcomes and general well-being.
National Rural Education Association
The National Rural Education Association helps rural educators by finding and helping them use resources needed to educate today’s students. Consider joining them in Chattanooga, Tenn., in November for their national conference.
Grants
Full-Service Community Schools Program
This program supports planning, implementation, and operation of full-service community schools that improve the coordination, integration, accessibility, and effectiveness of services for children and families. It focuses particularly on children attending high-poverty schools, including high-poverty rural schools.
McCarthey Dressman Academic Enrichment Grants
These grants fund programs that nurture the intellectual, artistic, and creative abilities of children from low-income households. The McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation awards grants to individuals in amounts up to $10,000 per year for a maximum of $20,000 over two years, provided the eligibility requirements are met.
Association of American Educators Classroom Grants
Provides grants of up to $500 for classroom materials and projects. Application deadlines are March 1 and Oct. 1. Association members receive priority.
Wisconsin Improving Teacher Quality Grants
This UW System grant program provides large-scale grants for professional development across subject areas.
This grant program, through Compeer Financial, funds programs and organizations whose work aligns with the mission of “enriching agriculture and rural America.”
