Nov. 24, 2025
Students commit to teaching in rural school for three years
Nine college students have joined the Ozarks Teacher Corps, a special scholarship program managed by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks to recruit teachers for rural school districts:
- McKenzie Furr, a 2021 graduate of Branson High School, currently studying at Missouri State University
- Jeremy Graham, a 2022 graduate of Marshfield High School, currently studying at Missouri State University
- Rosa Hester, a 2022 graduate of Bloomfield High School, currently studying at Missouri State University
- Kenna Humble, a 2023 graduate of Ozark High School, currently studying at Missouri State University
- Lillyan Johnson, a 2024 graduate of Charleston High School, currently studying at Missouri State University
- Makayla Karr, a 2019 graduate of West Plains High School, currently studying at Missouri State University
- Hannah Phillips, a 2024 graduate of Marionville High School, currently studying at Missouri State University
- Emily Whitaker, a 2017 graduate of Ava High School, currently studying at Drury University
- Natalie Wilks, a 2023 graduate of Sparta High School, currently studying at Drury University
In late October, new and returning members of the Ozarks Teacher Corps attended a place-based education workshop at the Watershed Center in Springfield.
As a members of the Ozarks Teacher Corps, the students recently joined second-year Corps members for a place-based education workshop at the Watershed Center in Springfield. The workshop was led by Kelly Gaskins, a professional learning coach for Teton Science Schools. Place-based education connects the subjects that students learn in the classroom to the communities in which they live and is a key component of Ozarks Teacher Corps training.
The Ozarks Teacher Corps is part of the CFO’s Rural Schools Partnership, an initiative that links rural schools and the communities they anchor. Teacher-education students attending Missouri State University and Drury University in Springfield, Missouri Southern State University in Joplin and Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau may apply to join the Corps, which offers a $4,000 scholarship, renewable for a second year. To join, scholarship recipients must agree to teach for at least three years upon graduation at a rural school district in the region. Established in 2010, the Ozarks Teacher Corps has become a model for similar programs across the country.
“Developing great teachers for rural schools plays a huge role in the futures of their students and communities,” said Beth Hersh, director of scholarships for the CFO. “Watching our latest Ozarks Teacher Corps cohort engage in place-based education, learning to connect their lesson plans to their communities, is so inspiring.”
CFO scholarship applications opening Jan. 1
Applications for scholarships administered by the CFO, including the Ozarks Teacher Corps Scholarship, will open Jan. 1, 2026. The CFO administers about 450 scholarship funds that provide $1.7 million in scholarships every year for students from central and southern Missouri seeking higher education. For more information, go to cfozarks.org/applyforscholarships.
