Auburn launches new Rural Teacher Fellowship program, selects initial cohort

In an effort to address a shortage of teachers in rural areas of Alabama, Auburn University’s College of Education and University Outreach are teaming up to provide a new Rural Teacher Fellowship program that will launch in the spring. 

In the leadup to the fellowship’s start, the program’s first two fellows were recently named, both of whom are seniors in the College of Education. Mary Wheelock, a native of Marietta, Georgia, who is majoring in elementary education, and Jessie Barclay, a Pelham, Alabama, native majoring in early childhood/elementary special education, will conduct their clinical residency as part of the new program in Eclectic, Alabama.

“I am thrilled to be serving as one of the Rural Teacher Fellows this upcoming spring and am excited to begin this opportunity to help better understand the needs for development of education in rural communities and to learn how I can make a difference as a future educator!” exclaimed Wheelock, a member of the Epsilon Eta chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma and the Alpha Phi chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, an international honors society that recognizes and supports excellence in educators.

Barclay, a member of the Delta Sigma chapter of Delta Gamma and the Council for Exceptional Children in Auburn chapter, said she also eagerly awaits her fellowship. 

“I am excited to be a fellow because this opportunity will allow me to make a meaningful impact in a rural community and give me valuable growth and experience for my future,” she said. “Working with students in special education, I look forward to fostering a supportive environment where every child can thrive and reach their full potential.”

Anna-Margaret Goldman, director of the Center for Educational Outreach and Engagement at Auburn, said the need is great for teachers in rural areas — especially in Alabama where almost half of the state’s students are in an area deemed rural. She said that in the United States, many rural schools are impacted by teacher shortages and turnover. Alabama, a largely rural state with a high percentage of low-income and minority students, is dramatically impacted by this gap.

Amid such a teacher shortage, the Nation’s Report Card ranks Alabama’s performance for rural students as the third lowest in the United States.

“We believe that every child should have the opportunity for a quality education regardless of where they live,” Goldman said. “The Rural Teacher Fellows program can be part of transforming rural education in Alabama.”

The fellowship program aims to address that issue and has received funding through Auburn’s most recent annual Tiger Giving Day event and through the Daniel Foundation, allowing it to offer student stipends of $3,000 each. Students in the program will become a fixture in the Eclectic community, with the group Children’s Harbor partnering to provide the fellows housing near Eclectic in the Lake Martin region. The fellows will also meet with local leaders and reflect on their experiences with peers and faculty. Funding is already secured to continue the program through next fall, with the possibility of three to four additional fellowships being available. 

In the College of Education, Martina McGhee, assistant clinical professor of elementary education, and Kelly Schweck, assistant clinical professor in special education, say they see tremendous benefits from the new fellowship in the way of opening greater opportunities for students and awareness of the need for teachers in such rural communities. 

“We are very excited that Jessie is participating in the Rural Teacher Fellowship program,” Schweck said. “It is an excellent opportunity to take what she has learned in her classes and field experiences and apply it in Eclectic while learning about and connecting with the community.”

McGhee and Schweck said Wheelock and Barclay are exceptional students and have been prepared well for the fellows opportunity. 

To learn more about the Rural Teacher Fellows program, email Goldman at ayg0005@auburn.edu.