IL HR0966

Logan Square Neighborhood Association started the Grow Your Own initiative in the 1990s after parents in a low-income Latino neighborhood expressed interest in becoming teachers but could not afford college tuition.

In 2004, organizers successfully advocated for a Grow Your Own Teacher Education Act; the program received state funding in 2005 and became Grow Your Own Illinois, a nonprofit organization partnering with the Illinois State Board of Education and universities.

The program expanded to include community organizations in Auburn Gresham, mid-South Side, and Gage Park/Chicago Lawn neighborhoods to recruit and train teachers from local paraprofessionals, community leaders, and parents.

In 2010, Grow Your Own Illinois was transferred to the Illinois Board of Higher Education to continue improving the teacher training program.

The House of Representatives expresses continued support for Grow Your Own Illinois' commitment to providing quality teachers from high-need communities who remain in their local areas.