The Minnesota Department of Education’s Grow Your Own (GYO) program aims to support programs that will increase and diversify the teacher workforce in the state of Minnesota.
Donor Name: Minnesota Department of Education
State: Minnesota
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/15/2025
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 5 Years
Details:
Eligible districts, charter schools, intermediate districts, and cooperatives may apply for one or both of the following:
- GYO Pathway for Adults
- Funds are available to eligible applicants for a grant to create a GYO program to assist people of color and American Indian people to obtain their first professional teaching license. The grant recipient must use at least 80 percent of grant funds to provide tuition scholarships or stipends to enable district employees or community members affiliated with a district, who are of color or American Indian, and who seek a teaching license, to participate in the teacher preparation program.
- Adult pathway grantees must partner with:
- A Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board-approved teacher preparation program;
- A Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation-accredited teacher preparation program from a private, not for profit, institution of higher education; or
- An institution that has an articulated transfer pathway with a board-approved teacher preparation program.
- GYO Pathway for Secondary Students
- GYO grant funds are available to Minnesota school districts to develop innovative Grow Your Own programs that encourage secondary school students, especially students of color and American Indian students, to pursue teaching.
- To be eligible for this grant, a district must ensure that the percentage of students of color or American Indian students participating in the program must be the same as or be greater than that of the district.
- The funds must be used to:
- Support future teacher clubs or service-learning opportunities that provide secondary students with experiential learning that supports the success of younger students or peers and increases students’ interest in pursuing a teaching career.
- Develop and offer postsecondary enrollment options for “Introduction to Teaching” or “Introduction to Education” courses that meet degree requirements for teacher licensure.
- Provide direct support, including wrap-around services, for students who are of color or American Indian to enroll and be successful in postsecondary enrollment options courses under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.09, that would meet degree requirements for teacher licensure.
- Offer scholarships to graduating high school students who are of color or American Indian to enroll in board-approved undergraduate teacher preparation programs at a college or university in Minnesota or in an institution that has an articulated transfer pathway with a board-approved teacher preparation program.
Funding Information
- Total amount available: $30,000,000
- Maximum grant amount for the pathway for adults: $750,000
- Maximum grant amount for the pathway for secondary students: $500,000.
Grant Period
60 months.
Eligibility Criteria
- This grant opportunity is open to any Minnesota school district, charter school, tribal contract school, or a cooperative unit.
- Districts may elect to apply jointly with other eligible applicants. Though a valuable option for many districts, this application method is not prioritized or required. If you are submitting a joint application with other eligible districts, please submit one Letter of Support for each partner with your application in MEGS. The applicant (fiscal host) does not need a letter of support.
- Please note if you are applying for the Pathway for Secondary Students, to apply for the grant, the eligible applicant must also:
- enroll secondary students, and
- ensure that the aggregate percentage of secondary school students of color and American Indian students participating in the program is equal to or greater than the aggregate percentage of students of color and American Indian students in the school district or charter school.
For more information, visit MDE.
