Grow Your Own Teacher Education (GYO) Initiative
Forecasted
The Grow Your Own Teacher Education Initiative by the Illinois Board of Higher Education prepares community members to become teachers for hard-to-staff Illinois schools through comprehensive support and training.
Funder: Illinois Board of Higher Education
Due Dates (Anticipated): January 2027 (Application deadline, projected)
Funding Amounts: Forgivable loans up to $25,000 per candidate; recent annual program funding requests total $7–8 million statewide.
Summary: Supports Illinois community members and paraeducators to become teachers in hard-to-staff, high-need schools.
Description
The Grow Your Own Teacher Education (GYO) Initiative, administered by the Illinois Board of Higher Education, is a statewide grant program designed to address teacher shortages in hard-to-staff Illinois schools serving a high percentage of low-income students. The initiative recruits and prepares parents, community members, and paraeducators to become effective teachers, especially in schools and teaching positions that are difficult to fill. The program emphasizes increasing teacher diversity and supporting non-traditional candidates through comprehensive financial and wraparound support.
