With a new program, Northern Kentucky University hopes to reduce the regional and nationwide teacher shortage.
NKU said in a press release that, through the Haile Foundation Future Educator Fellows Program, it hopes to have a direct impact on K-12 education in the region by “building a pipeline of dedicated and community-oriented educators.” This program is funded by a grant from the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation.
The Haile Foundation Future Educator Fellows program aims to reduce the cost of obtaining a teaching certification by building on the success of NKU’s Young Scholars Academy. It will support Young Scholars Academy graduates from under-resourced school districts in completing their bachelor of education degrees at reduced cost and with enhanced training to prepare them to serve schools in the Northern Kentucky region with the highest need.
Founded in 2020, the Young Scholars Academy is designed to fill the early-college access gap for students in the Northern Kentucky region. In Young Scholars Academy, high school juniors and seniors experience wraparound support personally, academically and professionally while earning college credit.
“With this program, we are hoping to attract dedicated, high-achieving students who graduate from the Young Scholars Academy to pursue teaching degrees,” said NKU Provost Diana McGill. “We are grateful for the Haile Foundation’s partnership in piloting this program, and for the opportunity to train the next generation of educators in service to the region’s students.”
Beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year, the program will offer selected students an annual tuition discount, employment opportunities with NKU’s K-12 summer camps, and a first-year housing stipend upon certification and employment. The initiative’s goal is to produce more than one dozen certified teachers by 2030, primarily serving Title I eligible school districts in the Northern Kentucky region.
Since its inception, Young Scholars Academy has graduated more than 350 students from the program, more than half of whom have gone on to pursue a bachelor’s degree at NKU. For more information about the academy, visit NKU’s website.