A program designed to help aspiring teachers get into classrooms quicker is accepting applications for the third time. Golden Apple announced that they are accepting applications for their Accelerators Teacher Residency and Licensure program.  Kesa Thurman-Stovall, Chief Program Officer of Golden Apple, says that Accelerators was launched in June 2020 in response to a teachers shortage that Illinois is facing. 

The Accelerators Program is a short-term solution to the Teacher shortage in Illinois. The program usually gets students in the classroom quickly with a 15-month turnaround to getting a teaching license along with receiving a stipend of up to $25,000 to apply for coursework and living expenses. 

Stovall says that the application window is open until mid-January. 

One big aspect of this program is mentoring along with job placement.

The second group of Accelerators started their training in June of 2021 and will begin teaching in the fall of 2022.  For more information, visit www.goldenapple.org/accelerators.