APRIL DARRINGER
By DAVID CAMPHOUSE
John Wood Community College has been selected to receive a grant from Grow Your Own Teachers Illinois (GYO‑IL), a statewide nonprofit focused on expanding and diversifying the educator workforce. The funding will support JWCC’s efforts to guide more students into PreK–12 teaching careers and address persistent teacher shortages across West Central Illinois.
According to the JWCC news release, the grant will bolster the college’s Grow Your Own initiative, which helps students identify, enter, and complete education pathways while reducing barriers to college entry, persistence, transfer, and licensure. The initiative places particular emphasis on community‑connected students who want to return to their home districts as educators.
GYO‑IL works to recruit and support diverse, locally rooted individuals who aspire to become teachers. Through advising, mentorship, and coordinated pathway development, the organization assists candidates through each stage of preparation, from early interest to licensure.
At JWCC, the grant will fund expanded outreach, increased access to education coursework, strengthened advising and wraparound supports, and improved transfer alignment with four‑year university partners. These efforts build on existing collaborations with regional school districts and higher education institutions to create clearer, more supportive routes into the teaching profession.
“This investment from Grow Your Own Teachers Illinois allows us to be more intentional about supporting students who want to serve their communities through education,” said April Darringer, Early Childhood Professor and Program Coordinator at JWCC, in the news release. “By aligning pathways and removing barriers, we can help prepare future teachers who are committed to the schools and communities they know best.”
JWCC and GYO‑IL will continue working together to strengthen the regional educator pipeline and support long‑term workforce stability across West Central Illinois.
More information is available from Darringer at 217‑641‑4528.
