Saint Louis University Commits up to $1.4 Million for Teacher Education Through New StayTeachLead Scholarship Program

Saint Louis University Commits up to $1.4 Million for Teacher Education Through New StayTeachLead Scholarship Program

This week, Saint Louis University School of Education launched the StayTeachLead Scholarship Program, an initiative designed to strengthen the local teacher pipeline through direct partnerships with St. Louis area schools.

Through the program, local schools will partner with SLU to identify and nominate promising students to receive half-tuition scholarships worth more than $28,000 per year. Applicants will remain eligible for additional scholarships above this level.

Leadership in each StayTeachLead partner school or district will nominate two students who aspire to become educators and pursue their studies in SLU's School of Education. School districts, including traditional public schools, charter public schools and private schools, are invited to join the School of Education StayTeachLead partnership. 

The initiative represents a significant investment in the region, with more than $100,000 in total scholarship support provided to each scholarship winner over their undergraduate career.

"Our mission calls us to both support our communities and to inspire educators as leaders of change, with and for others, through intentional relationships and responsive action," said Gary Ritter, Ph.D., dean of the School of Education. "The StayTeachLead Scholarship Program embodies that mission. By working hand-in-hand with district partners to support talented future educators, we are strengthening the very schools we serve. This partnership ensures that students in our region benefit from outstanding teachers who are prepared not only to teach but also to lead."

Pilot programs at Ritenour Public Schools, University City, and St. Louis Public Schools have already awarded education scholarships through SLU's Grow Your Own teacher education scholarships.

With StayTeachLead, SLU aims to expand partnerships to approximately 25 local districts and schools. Students who receive this scholarship will spend their fourth year student teaching in a local school.

"We in Ritenour are so pleased to create opportunities for our fantastic graduates to enter the teaching profession," said Chris Kilbride, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools for the Ritenour School District. "I am grateful for Saint Louis University leading the way in making a degree in education affordable and attainable for our Ritenour students."

Kori Seals, a student in the School of Education, reflects on her academic growth, made possible through her own SLU scholarship.

"My experience in SLU's School of Education has been both invigorating and introspective," said Seals. "Starting in my freshman year, I took classes that pushed me to answer questions about myself, my values, and my beliefs.

"Now, as a junior, I am still engaging in that same critical reflection, but I am also building on it with specific pedagogical knowledge and socially just teachings. The way SLU intertwines the art of becoming a teacher with curriculum and lesson plan development is impressive."

The StayTeachLead Scholarship Program builds on SLU's long-standing commitment to education in the St. Louis region and strengthens collaboration between the university and its K-12 partners.

For more information about SLU StayTeachLead Scholarship Program, contact Sam Link at the SLU School of Education at [email protected].