GYO-Eastern
Eastern Illinois University (EIU) leads the GYO-Eastern program, preparing future elementary and special education teachers to serve rural communities across central Illinois. Established in 2018, GYO-Eastern addresses regional teacher shortages through tailored support for nontraditional candidates (i.e., ones who did not go directly to college after high school), including paraprofessionals, career changers, and community leaders. We have flexible, location-specific cohorts made for busy adults.
We currently serve over 80 school districts in five regional offices of education across 21 counties in eastern Illinois.
Contact Information
For more information about GYO-Eastern, eligibility requirements, or the application process, please get in touch with us:
Program Director
Dr. M. Cecil Smith
mcsmith5@eiu.edu
Program Benefits
GYO-Eastern provides extensive support to help aspiring teachers overcome financial and systemic barriers. Program benefits include:
State-Funded Forgivable Loans
Candidates may receive up to $25,000 in forgivable loans to help cover tuition and related educational expenses.
Comprehensive Support
GYO programs may offer a range of resources, including transportation and childcare stipends, tutoring, laptop loans, and dedicated program staff to help candidates manage registration, financial aid, and campus resources.
Peer and Community Support
Candidates benefit from a network of peers and regular monthly meetings.
University Licensure Offerings
Participants in GYO-Eastern can pursue teaching licenses in the following specializations:
Elementary Education
Special Education
By aligning our licensure offerings with district needs, we ensure that you are prepared to step into a role where you can make an immediate and significant impact.
GYO-IL Eligibility Requirements
We're looking for individuals committed to making a difference in their communities. To be eligible for GYO-Eastern, an applicant must:
Be a paraeducator (e.g., tutor, coach, school staff), parent and community leader, or student with a non-traditional background (i.e., one who did not go directly to a four-year college after high school) in our region.
Commit to teaching in a hard-to-staff local public school or a hard-to-staff position in Illinois for five years.
Meet academic and admissions standards for their chosen teacher preparation program.
Meet GYO-IL program standards, which include maintaining a GPA of 2.5 or higher, attending monthly cohort and coordinator meetings, and adhering to performance standards.
More details & get started:
Key Partners
Our program thrives on the strength of our consortium and is a collaborative effort dedicated to educational equity and excellence.
