It is back-to-school season and the Office of Rural Prosperity has compiled a list of resources and grants that invest in some of our state’s most valuable resources: our children.
Wisconsin boasts high-quality rural schools that contribute to the overall health and well-being of students and our communities.
As the daughter of two rural public-school teachers, I know firsthand how influential rural teachers can be in encouraging youth and contributing to the social fabric of our rural towns and villages.
The Rural Voices for Prosperity report has the following recommendation concerning teachers: “Consider and strengthen programs to support teacher attraction and retainment. Teacher salaries make it hard to live in—or move to—many rural locations.”
This month’s newsletter features an innovative approach in Wisconsin Heights to grow its own teachers. Its effort expands the pool of applicants for open teaching positions in the district.
Through a Workforce Innovation Grant the district offered scholarships to Wisconsin Heights students who earn a degree in education and return to the community to teach. You will also find included here research, grants, scholarships, and program models focused on strengthening rural schools.
RURAL EDUCATION RESOURCES
When rural schools thrive, so do the towns and regions around them.
In 2019, Jeff Glazer launched the Rural Entrepreneurship Program. He travels around the state to answer questions from entrepreneurs and works with communities on rural economic development issues.
This program helps potential Wisconsin destinations by providing financial assistance for facility costs or host destination expenses as they bid for regional and national meetings or conventions. Deadline: Sept. 1, 2023
The program provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements. Agricultural producers may also apply for new energy-efficient equipment and new system loans for agricultural production and processing. Deadline: Dec. 31, 2023
Creation and Presentation Program grants provide artistic program and operational support to established nonprofit arts organizations. The groups’ primary mission must be to create or present ongoing arts programming that makes a significant impact on Wisconsin’s cultural life. Organizations must also further the Arts Board’s community development and arts education goals. Deadline: Oct. 12, 2023
The Woodland Indian Arts Program promotes and develops a foundation of cultural and economic support for traditional and contemporary Native American arts in Wisconsin. As part of this work, the Arts Board annually distributes funds from gaming compact funds to support artistic activities among Wisconsin's tribes, bands, and urban Native American communities. Deadline: Nov. 1, 2023
First Nations has long supported Native communities and organizations as they fortify traditional food systems, increase access to healthy and fresh foods, and expand knowledge of the linkages between food, Native cultures, and tribal economic growth. Deadline: Feb. 28, 2024
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