Taking steps toward strengthening the teaching workforce in the Mountain State, West Virginia University will address critical staffing shortages among educators and enhance teacher preparation programs by building connections through an innovative, place-based approach.
Funded with more than $1.6 million from the Appalachian Regional Commission Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization or POWER Initiative, the three-year project will be led by the WVU College of Applied Human Sciences, in partnership with the West Virginia Public Education Collaborative, and the WVU Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative, and will integrate three complementary pathways to recruit, prepare, place, and retain teachers in schools and communities across West Virginia.