Golden Apple, a non-profit committed to preparing, supporting and mentoring aspiring teachers, has inducted its largest ever cohort of participants into its Scholars program in Illinois. Targeted toward high school seniors as well as freshman and sophomore college students, the Scholars program provides participants with a robust support network, paid summer professional development, classroom teaching experience, job placement assistance, up to $23,000 in financial support, and mentorship from award-winning teachers. The new class of approximately 440 Scholars will be officially inducted into the program, with one ceremony completed on June 1st at the Tinley Park Convention Center and another ceremony planned in July.

A recent report from the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents found that there were more than 4,000 teaching positions unfilled for the 2023-2024 school year, with 91 percent of school leaders indicating experiencing a teacher shortage. The Scholars program is an important part of Golden Apple’s work to build the state’s pipeline of impactful teachers to address the shortage crisis. Over the summer, Scholars will participate in Golden Apple’s Scholar Institute, a rigorous, multi-week teacher preparation program. Scholar Institutes are geographically dispersed throughout the state of Illinois. This summer, more than 1,100 Scholars will attend Illinois Scholar Institutes where they will prepare to become outstanding teachers. To learn more about the program, visit: www.goldenapple.org/scholars.