Peoria
Peoria Relaunched and Reaching More Students!
Since its relaunch in 2018, GYO Peoria has been steadily increasing its impact. In 2019, GYO Peoria produced its first GYO graduate, and in 2021, Peoria became its own consortia.
Jeanelle Valdovinos, GYO Graduate 2019
The Players that Make Peoria Work
The success of the Peoria GYO is the result of the combined efforts of Peoria Public Schools District #150, Peoria Federation of Teachers Local 780, and Bradley University.
The recent teacher shortage, and in particular, Peoria’s minority teacher shortage, drove Peoria Public Schools #150 to adopt the GYO Teacher Initiative.
Peoria Federation of Teachers Local 780 is the school union and community partner, which provides outreach support, cohort meeting space, and professional development opportunities.
And Bradley University Department of Education, Counseling, and Leadership in the local higher education partner.
WRAPAROUND Services
Like other GYO-IL programs, Peoria follows the cohort model, bringing aspiring teachers together on a monthly basis to support each other and discuss topics of interest related to teaching. Recent discussions have focused on effective advocacy for students, teachers’ unions, and collective action, practicing self-care to prevent burnout, the ins and outs of the teacher certification process, and understanding different faiths during the holiday season.
Meet GYO Peoria
GYO-Illinois’ Peoria cohort is led by Linda Wilson, a teacher in the Peoria Public School District 150, a leader in the Peoria Federation of Teachers Local 780, and a GYO graduate.
