Grow Your Own Competitive Grant Opportunity - Pathway for Secondary Students

Grow Your Own Competitive Grant Opportunity - Pathway for Secondary Students

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Minnesota Department of Education
Amount: Up to US $500,000
Last Updated: November 16, 2025

Summary

The Grow Your Own Competitive Grant Opportunity aims to diversify the teacher workforce in Minnesota by providing funding for innovative programs encouraging secondary students, particularly students of color and American Indian students, to pursue teaching careers. Eligible districts can apply for grants up to $500,000 to support future teacher clubs, develop education courses, and offer scholarships, ensuring that participation rates reflect district demographics. This initiative is part of the Minnesota Department of Education's commitment to educational equity.

Overview

NOTE: Here is the additional opportunity associated with this grant - Pathway for Adults page. About the Agency The Minnesota Department of Education provides an excellent education for Minnesota students by striving for excellence, equity, and opportunity. They focus on closing the achievement gap, supporting high-quality teaching, using innovative strategies to improve educational outcomes, and ensuring all students graduate from high school well-prepared for college, career and life. The Minnesota Department of Education develops, builds, and maintains collaborative relationships with schools, districts, and other stakeholders through a wide variety of advisory boards, councils and committees. Grow Your Own Competitive Grant Opportunity The Minnesota Department of Education has funding available under Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.73, for grants under the Grow Your Own (GYO) program to support programs that will increase and diversify the teacher workforce in the state of Minnesota. Eligible districts, charter schools, intermediate districts, and cooperatives may apply for one or both of the following: Pathway for Secondary Students GYO grant funds are available to Minnesota school districts to develop innovative Grow Your Own programs that encourage secondary school students, especially students of color and American Indian students, to pursue teaching. To be eligible for this grant, a district must ensure that the percentage of students of color or American Indian students participating in the program must be the same as or be greater than that of the district. The funds must be used to: Support future teacher clubs or service-learning opportunities that provide secondary students with experiential learning that supports the success of younger students or peers and increases students’ interest in pursuing a teaching career.Develop and offer postsecondary enrollment options for “Introduction to Teaching” or “Introduction to Education” courses that meet degree requirements for teacher licensure.Provide direct support, including wrap-around services, for students who are of color or American Indian to enroll and be successful in postsecondary enrollment options courses under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.09, that would meet degree requirements for teacher licensure.Offer scholarships to graduating high school students who are of color or American Indian to enroll in board-approved undergraduate teacher preparation programs at a college or university in Minnesota or in an institution that has an articulated transfer pathway with a board-approved teacher preparation program. Funding Total amount available: $30,000,000Maximum grant amount for the pathway for secondary students: $500,000

Eligibility

We've imported the main document for this grant to give you an overview. You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website.