The Minnesota state student-teacher pilot program aims to lessen the possibility of a statewide teaching shortage by providing stipends to students completing their mandatory student teaching.  

The University of Minnesota Duluth will be one of seven universities offering this program.

“We really need teachers in the state of Minnesota. We really need teachers all over the country,” said Jill Pinkney Pastrana, the Dean of the College of Education and Human Resources at the University of Minnesota Duluth. “This is an element in the requirements for state for licensure, that has perhaps been a deterrent. We want to take away those barriers so that as many people who are passionate about working with young people in the classroom don’t feel like they can’t afford to pursue teaching.”

The program is slated to start for the 2024 to 2025 academic year.