Rural Education Initiatives

Monmouth is committed to community. We have a vision for changing the face of rural education to improve equity and quality of life in rural areas. Our rural education initiatives bring together innovative programs to do just that.

Rural education initiatives (REDI)

• TARTANS Rural Teacher Corps prepares teachers committed to rural education to be visionaries in their communities.
• PLACE Teaching Sites provide classrooms where students focus on their local place through project-based inquiry learning.
• Monmouth Educational Garden & Farm are living resources that enrich hands-on education about agriculture, sustainability and nutrition for all learners.
• Our robust rural network connects school districts, retired teachers and other community stakeholders. This network strengthens local relationships, fosters collaboration and accelerates community-driven action.

Professor Craig Vivian works with a local kindergarten class at the College's Garden.

In it together

National and local partners have been essential to growing REDI’s vision and programming.

Our partners include:

The Rural Schools Collaborative: Monmouth serves as the national office and the Illinois hub for place-based education. The collaborative support has enabled us to tap into a national rural network, connect with policy advocates, build our capacity through rural philanthropy, and share the transformational work being done in education throughout our region.

The Galesburg Community Foundation: Partners with Monmouth to host its national office. The foundation is a key supporter of our rural education initiatives, connecting us with community leaders and local philanthropy to help provide valuable insight on and long-term capacity for our work.

Teton Science Schools: As the first model hub for the Place Network, Monmouth works closely with the national non-profit organization to bring place-based education to our region through instructional coaching, resource sharing and financial support.