Expanding Access to Teaching: Teach Kentucky @ Georgetown College
For more than two decades, Teach Kentucky has worked to strengthen Kentucky’s teacher pipeline by recruiting, supporting, and developing passionate educators who are committed to making a lasting impact in the classroom.
Today, we are excited to share a major milestone in that work.
Teach Kentucky is proud to announce its first expansion beyond the greater Louisville region through a new partnership with Georgetown College. This collaboration establishes a second program site, Teach Kentucky @ Georgetown College, designed to serve school districts across the Commonwealth.
Building on a Strong Foundation
Since 2001, Teach Kentucky has recruited and supported more than 560 educators, primarily serving Jefferson County Public Schools and surrounding communities. More than 70 percent of those educators relocated to Kentucky to begin their teaching careers, bringing new energy, talent, and perspective into our schools.
Today, over 200 of those educators continue to teach or lead in Kentucky schools, while others have taken their experience into careers across the country and beyond. No matter where they are now, their time in the classroom continues to shape students and communities in meaningful ways.
A New Chapter: Growing Our Own
Teach Kentucky @ Georgetown College builds on this success with a complementary approach focused on recruiting and developing educators from within Kentucky.
By emphasizing in-state talent, this expansion supports individuals who are deeply connected to their communities and committed to staying and teaching where they are needed most. It is a strategic next step in strengthening long-term teacher retention across the state.
Partnership in Action
This expansion is made possible through a strong partnership with Georgetown College, an institution with nearly 200 years of academic excellence and a longstanding commitment to service. Known for preparing educators who lead with both skill and character, Georgetown is a natural partner in this next phase of our work.
Participants in Teach Kentucky @ Georgetown College will teach full time in Kentucky schools, serve as AmeriCorps members, and earn a Master of Arts in Education through Georgetown’s Option 6 Alternative Certification program.
Through our continued partnership with AmeriCorps, participants will also receive the Segal Education Award, which helps offset the majority of their graduate tuition and reduces financial barriers to entering the teaching profession.
Teaching as Service
At its core, Teach Kentucky believes that teaching is one of the most powerful forms of service.
Since 2017, our partnership with AmeriCorps has expanded access to the profession by connecting individuals to meaningful, service-driven pathways into the classroom. This model supports aspiring educators while strengthening the communities they serve.
With the launch of our inaugural pilot cohort this summer, Teach Kentucky @ Georgetown College represents a meaningful investment in Kentucky’s schools and in the next generation of educators.
By the Numbers
The following reflects Teach Kentucky’s impact over the past 25 years in the Louisville region:
- More than 560 teachers recruited to launch their careers
- Over 240 educators still teaching in Kentucky today
- Participants from 47 states and more than 380 colleges and universities
- More than 50 percent teaching in high-need areas like STEM and Special Education
- A two-year pathway to a master’s degree and full certification
- A Kentucky-based nonprofit funded primarily through local philanthropy
Looking Ahead
This expansion marks an exciting new chapter for Teach Kentucky. While our roots remain strong in Louisville, our vision has always been broader. We want to ensure that every community in Kentucky has access to strong, dedicated educators.
As Rowan Claypool shared, “We are so excited that during our 25th year, a monumental moment in our history, we are finally able to fully live up to our name of Teach Kentucky by expanding beyond the greater Louisville area and into other communities across the Commonwealth. Louisville is the largest metropolitan area in the state, and now we have the opportunity to support schools in suburban and rural districts as well, reaching all facets of Kentucky’s diverse population and school systems.”
Teach Kentucky @ Georgetown College brings us one step closer to that goal.
We are excited for what comes next and for the educators who will help shape it.
