Grow Your Own Teachers (GYO)

The Grow Your Own Teachers (GYO) initiative is an innovative partnership of community organizations, higher education institutions, and school districts that supports parents, community members, and paraprofessionals in low-income communities to become highly qualified teachers. 

GYO@NEIU currently has a partnership Chicago Public Schools and six different community-based organizations including:

• Action Now Institute 
• Enlace Chicago 
• Kenwood Oakland Community Organization 
• Logan Square Neighborhood Association 
• ONE Northside 
• Southwest Organizing Project 

The outcomes GYO is achieving:

• A pipeline of highly effective teachers of color
• Improved teacher retention in low-income schools
• Improved cultural competence and community connections of teachers
• Improved academic achievement of low-income students