State-funded pilot program will support equitable access to education for aspiring educators pursuing certification in high-need fields while advancing workforce equity in West Michigan.
KConnect, in partnership with West Michigan Teacher Collaborative (WMTC), and Grand Valley State University (GVSU), has been awarded a $200,000 grant from the state of Michigan to pilot a community-based strategy addressing the urgent educator shortage in West Michigan. The Teach Here pilot will remove barriers to the teaching profession and provide a variety of supports for the next generation of educators, promoting equitable access to education.
The grant is part of the State of Michigan’s talent retention and attraction strategy, Make MI Home, which invests in innovative, community-driven solutions to address challenges across the state.
Teach Here supports and strengthens KConnect’s system-level strategy by improving the teacher pipeline. This project specifically aims to increase the number of future educators and expand access to high-quality, culturally responsive instruction for all students. The pilot project will remove key barriers for future educators in WMTC by providing support, including housing or relocation assistance, help navigating mental and other healthcare services, assistance finding childcare, and job placement support.
This support will also be available to certified teachers in critical need areas who choose to relocate to West Michigan, ultimately fostering equitable access to education.
“The educator shortage in Michigan is a systems-level challenge that requires systems-level solutions,” said Salvador López, President and CEO of KConnect. “Teach Here not only addresses immediate workforce needs, it builds long-term capacity by developing a more local and sustainable pipeline of educators who reflect and understand the communities they serve.”
The pilot will be led in West Michigan through a collaborative effort among KConnect, WMTC, and GVSU. WMTC, a regional Grow Your Own initiative launched by Kent ISD, Ottawa Area ISD, and Muskegon ISD, is designed to grow and diversify the next generation of educators through aligned, cross-sector collaboration. Its work ensures the next generation of educators has access to wrap-around supports and multiple points of entry into the profession.
“This grant affirms the importance of our collective approach,” said Mary Kay Murphy, Executive Director of West Michigan Teacher Collaborative. “Teach Here not only strengthens WMTC’s pathway into the profession, it surrounds participants with a coalition of support; housing assistance, mental health care, childcare, and more, so they can truly thrive. Whether someone is a relocating certified teacher or an aspiring educator just starting their journey, this initiative ensures they’re welcomed into a community ready to invest in their long-term success.”
The Teach Here pilot demonstrates how state, regional, and local stakeholders can collaborate to address workforce challenges while promoting economic mobility for Michigan residents.
Contextualizing Teach Here: Advancing Economic Mobility and Equitable Access to Education Through an Inclusive Pipeline
As the backbone organization for Kent County’s Collective Impact work, KConnect has a proven track record of working collaboratively to translate bold visions into measurable, systems-level outcomes.
Through community engagement with students, families, and education partners, as well as analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data, we identified a clear gap in educator diversity and access to high-quality pathways into the teaching profession. This gap not only impacts student outcomes but also limits economic mobility for individuals from historically underrepresented communities.
In response, KConnect launched the 360° Educators of Color Strategy to Inspire, Train, Recruit, and Retain local talent. The goal is to double the number of educators of color by 2033. As the need for qualified teachers grew across the region, KConnect and its partners designed the Teach Here pilot to serve all aspiring educators while maintaining a core commitment to representation and lived experience.
The early successes from this model, listed below, demonstrate that intentional, community-rooted strategies can yield tangible results while laying the groundwork for future growth.
INSPIRE
Laid the groundwork to spark early interest in teaching among students of color in West Michigan.
- Conducted research and student-led focus groups to identify key motivators such as mentorship, representation, compensation, and alignment with personal interests.
- These insights informed the development of a responsive communications campaign, slated to launch in the near future.
TRAIN
Supported future educators through high-quality, culturally responsive teacher training.
- Partnered with Grand Valley State University to support 29 students in a peer-mentoring Educators of Color Network.
- Secured a national fellowship to strengthen program design.
RECRUIT
Collaboratively expanded access to tuition-free certification and career pathways.
- Partner with and provide technical assistance to West Michigan Teacher Collaborative, which recently secured $19M to go toward tuition-free teacher preparation across three counties.
RETAIN
Developed infrastructure to ensure educators of color thrive in their profession.
- Created the Shades of Strength Collaborative, now with 115+ members (72% self-identify as Black/African American).
- With educator input and partnership, designed mentorship, networking, and leadership opportunities.
- Activated KConnect’s community-affirmed Shared Policy Agenda, specifically around teacher pay, credentialing, and retention supports.