This summer, we’re taking a deeper look at the ways our tutoring programs holistically support the education system. While our foundation has always been to deliver high-impact tutoring through rigorously trained and caring AmeriCorps members, we also have an eye on how those members take those skills into future careers in education.
Last month, we published a deep dive into the ways our programs act as a steppingstone into positions as teachers, interventionists, and paraprofessionals. This month, we want to reflect on the success of an initiative that fast tracks members into a master’s degree and teaching license: Minnesota Grow Your Own Teacher.
Putting Tutoring Experience to Good Work
“Minnesota Grow Your Own Teacher, or MNGOT for short, is an accelerated teacher pathway program,” says Alice Werle, Senior Manager of Initiatives at Ampact. “It’s an opportunity for people who are interested in becoming teachers but might have financial or time barriers stopping them.”
The program is a collaboration with the University of Minnesota, currently open to Reading Corps members in Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree. When accepted, members spend the next two years tutoring, completing courses, student teaching, and doing fieldwork. Upon graduation, members will have earned their master’s in education and a license in K-6 Elementary Education – often at no cost to them – all while getting great experience with students as tutors.
The program was born of a desire by education officials in Minnesota to help smooth the path for tutors to get a graduate degree and get into the classroom. Reading Corps wasn’t the first program to join the initiative, but the partnership was a natural fit.
More than half of our tutors hope to work in education, and they already accumulate hundreds of hours of experience working with students. The program helps to strengthen our education programs’ already robust tutor-to-teacher pipeline. For MNGOT members themselves, the partnership allows them to get immediate classroom experience, impact their communities, and complete their graduate level coursework.
“People in the university, people in the school district, and my Reading Corps supervisors were all very supportive,” says Crystal, a recent MNGOT graduate. “I would recommend it – I think it’s a really fabulous first step to being a teacher.”
Early Successes
The first cohort of tutors in our MNGOT partnership began their service in 2021. In the three years since, we’ve already seen great success with members finding work as teachers.
“We graduated our first batch of MNGOT members last year, and one of them – Kelly – is now teaching at my daughter’s school,” says Nick Abraham, who has managed Reading Corps’ MNGOT program since 2022. “My daughter is in third grade, and Kelly’s a fourth-grade teacher, so she might have him next year!”
Kelly recently completed his first year as a full-time teacher in Minneapolis this June, which went better than he could have hoped. He completed the program just over a year ago, and even did his year of student teaching at the school he now works for. Before spending two years in Reading Corps through MNGOT, Kelly served two years in AmeriCorps through Math Corps. He appreciates the combination of educational training and interpersonal experience that tutoring gave him.
“I was as prepared as I possibly could have been: I had all of that time in the classroom, working with kids, practicing those skills, and building those relationships,” he says. “There’s no perfect way to get into teaching, but this is probably as good as it gets.”
New State, New Opportunities
With MNGOT about to start its fourth year of launching more tutors on the path to becoming teachers, we are proud to announce another university partnership, this time in Georgia! For more than five years, our members have delivered high-impact tutoring to thousands of Georgia students through Reading Corps and Math Corps. Beginning this year, those members will have the opportunity to get a boost in their education career thanks to the Enterprise Learning Partnership at Mercer University.
Like MNGOT, the Enterprise Learning Partnership has been in operation at Mercer for several years and our new inclusion feels like a perfect match. Reading Corps and Math Corps tutors in Georgia can be recommended to the partnership, which entitles them to a waiver of application fees plus tuition grants for Mercer’s renowned education programs! These programs include:
- Paraprofessionals for Initial Teacher Certification (BS.Ed & MAT)
25% Tuition Grant
- Early Learning and Development Program – Certification & Non-certification (Birth-Kindergarten)
25% Tuition Grants
- Graduate Students – Practicing Teachers/Teacher Leaders/Admins
10% Tuition Grants
Supporting Current Students and Future Teachers
“We know that a majority of our members hope to pursue education full time and become the next generation of teachers. By joining the Enterprise Learning Partnership, we can ensure that we are eradicating barriers to achieving the goal of certification,” says Shawonna Coleman, Executive Director of Georgia Programs. “This is a fantastic way support the careers of our members and strengthen the education system here in Georgia. We could not be more thankful to everyone at Mercer University for making this happen.”
All of these degree and certification programs are designed for working professionals, allowing members to pursue their educational goals while still serving the needs of local students. With more tutors in line to serve the state in 2024-25 and 56% of Georgia tutors hoping to pursue a career in education, this partnership represents an incredible opportunity.
“We care about investing in members during their service, and also in their careers moving forward,” says Werle. “I was an AmeriCorps member, and my year of service changed my career trajectory. It gave me skills that led me to where I am today. Programs like this are a great opportunity to launch people into the careers that they really want and that our communities really need.”
We are so thankful to the University of Minnesota for our participation in MNGOT and to Mercer University for our inclusion in the Enterprise Learning Partnership. We can’t wait to see the amazing things our alumni will do with their skills and education. If you want to learn more about MNGOT, visit readingandmath.org/mngot, or to check out the tutoring opportunities in Georgia, visit readingandmath.org/locations/georgia!