GYO-IL Team Visits Parkland College
DMTI Helps Diverse Male Students Become Teachers
GYO-IL’s visit to Parkland included a luncheon with teacher candidates in Central Illinois
Pictured from left to right: Charles Larenas (Parkland College), Dayheshvance Merrifield (Parkland College), Tahj McLaren (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), Dr. D.A Castro (GYO-IL), Jerry Hinds (GYO-IL), Jesse Worthington II (McKendree University), and Edwin Rodriguez (Parkland College).
March 14, 2024
On March 7th, staff from Grow Your Own Illinois’ (GYO-IL) Diverse Male Teacher Initiative (DMTI) visited Parkland College to meet with faculty and students involved in the program. Launched in 2022, DMTI aims to increase the number of men of color entering the teaching profession. Focusing on community colleges, where populations tend to be more racially and economically diverse than four-year institutions, DMTI funds students to take the courses required to enter teacher licensure programs. Over half of the 42 students currently enrolled in DMTI attend community colleges, including two at Parkland.
Parkland is a public community college located in Champaign, Illinois. Its education program prepares students for teaching careers in early childhood, elementary, secondary, or special education. Parkland offers advantages like small class sizes (a 15:1 ratio) and hands-on field experiences.
As with its Forgivable Loan Program, GYO-IL's DMTI program extends beyond tuition assistance to provide teacher candidates with wraparound services, including living stipends. These stipends are essential at two-year colleges where, for example, students may care for dependents or work more than 30 hours a week to finance their education. “At this stage, we can confidently say that our living stipend has helped students stay in the program,” said Dr. Castro, GYO-IL’s Director of Partnership Sustainability. “This was something we were adamant about from the beginning. A living stipend helps pay for rent, a car note, or food. This can make or break it for some students.”
Another critical support that DMTI brings is “intrusive advising.” Dr. Castro explains, “We’ve been very explicit about making deep personal investments with our students. It’s not just checking in on the basics, like keeping up with classes. We model an elevated degree of conversation with the candidates that goes to their personal lives and needs. Our support requires building relationships to gain trust.”
The visit gave GYO-IL an opportunity to meet with Parkland students at their campus to jointly assess the resources their school provides and gain insights from their faculty, like Charles Larenas, Associate Professor of Education at Parkland College, to bridge support.
For Larenas, DMTI is an opportunity for his students to enter a profession lacking racial and gender diversity. “DMTI’s focus on community colleges helps my efforts to build up a passion for teaching,” said Larenas. “It creates an entry point for men percolating about being a teacher, allowing them to take a few courses to build interest and sets them on the path to enter an institution where they can attain licensure.”
While visiting Parkland, GYO-IL hosted a small gathering of other DMTI participants in the area (pictured above). “Site visits allow us to deepen connections with the students, gain insights into their unique challenges and needs, and assess DMTI's impact on their educational journey,” said Dr. Castro. “Hearing from the students and our educator partners firsthand allows us to gather crucial feedback to enhance our program.”
Watch Diverse Male Teacher Initiative: Strengthening Schools and Communities