Building strong rural teachers to support strong rural communities

Sarah Bradshaw doesn’t have to think hard about why she loves teaching. “I love the students!” says the Dyersville Elementary reading teacher.

Her students are the reason she attended the Community Foundation’s recent Rural Teacher Retreat for the second year in a row. “There’s so many different things you can learn from this event. This year, I’m learning more about things I can bring to my classroom.”

In partnership with the Rural Schools Collaborative, the Foundation invited educators from across the Dubuque regionto the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. The event included an afternoon of workshops designed to help educators reconnect with their passion and deepen their understanding of what it means to teach in a rural community.

“When we talk with people in small towns about what they care about, one thing consistently rises to the top of the list: Education,” says Jason Neises, the Community Foundation’s community development officer. 

“Ultimately, we want to empower teachers to make their schools the pride of their communities,” adds Josie Manternach, the Foundation’s program officer.

The July 9 event, which drew about 50 attendees, was the second summit hosted by the Community Foundation since it became a Rural Schools Collaborative regional hub. While last year’s event focused on self-care for teachers, this year’s was largely centered on classroom ideas and local resources. Breakout sessions were led by representatives from the River Museum, Two By Two Character Development, Convivium Urban Farmstead, and Dubuque County Watersheds. Plus, many attendees gathered for a discussion on school safety.

“It’s great to learn about these opportunities we can bring to kids in the classroom,” said Amy Priem, a second-grade teacher at Ed-Co Elementary in Colesburg.

The summit concluded with a keynote presentation by Andy Mink, director of the Smithsonian’s Rural Initiative. Mink, who traveled to Dubuque from Washington, D.C., discussed what it means to serve rural communities as places and people.

“Rural communities are an important part of American life and history, and studies have shown that rural schools promote civic engagement more than other communities,” Mink said.

At the end of the summit, two attendees’ names were drawn at random, and each received a $250 classroom grant. Congratulations to Elizabeth Merritt of Aquin Elementary and Pam Van Vleck of Bellevue Middle School!

“Our region is filled with educators who care deeply about the children they teach and the communities they serve,” says Manternach. “We are proud to offer opportunities like this summit to help support them, their schools and the towns that make up rural Northeast Iowa.”

Special thanks to the Rural Schools Collaborative and National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium for helping make this event possible!

The Community Foundation’s Rural Teachers Corps initiative is supported by grant funding from the McDonough Foundation.

Learn more about the Foundation’s rural education work.

For more information, contact Josie Manternach at josie@dbqfoundation.org or 563-588-2700.