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News Brief on
Grow Your Own Initiatives
April 2026
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The news brief on Grow Your Own (GYO) initiatives is disseminated monthly to share critical information across the state on our various GYO programs, as well as updates on other education-related news. |
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This will be the final newsletter for the 2025-26 school year. The department will be evaluating whether to continue publishing the newsletter in the 2026-27 school year.
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 Staff from the Unviersity of Mary, Bismarck High School, USDOL and NDDPI, pose for photo during site visit.
USDOL Site Visit to North Dakota
The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) conducted an onsite technical assistance visit to North Dakota on March 17–18, 2026. The purpose of the visit was to discuss the State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula (SAEF) Base and Competitive grants awarded to the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (NDDPI).
During the visit, NDDPI highlighted the Registered Teacher Apprenticeship and Educators Rising programs, both of which are funded through SAEF. The USDOL representative had the opportunity to visit with multiple apprentices and a high school student participating in Educators Rising.
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 Pictured: The Great Hall at the State Capitol.
Update on State PTP
On Thursday, March 5, 2026, NDDPI disseminated a memo to Educator Preparation Providers (EPPs) participating in the State Para‑to‑Teacher Program (PTP), requesting that each EPP provide documentation of any funds available for reallocation to PTP applicants currently on our waitlist.
This process identified more than $150,000 in funding available for reallocation. We are pleased to announce that we were able to provide scholarships to 15 individuals on the waitlist for this program.
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 Webinar on Registered Teacher Apprenticeship from the District Lens
The National Center for Grow Your Own (NCGYO) is proud to host a live webinar highlighting Teacher Registered Apprenticeships from the district lens. Hear directly from district leaders who have designated and launched. They will share practical lessons, challenges, and strategies from the field.
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K-12 Aspiring Principals Pipeline Grant
In 2023, NDDPI applied for and was approved by the USDOL to establish a K‑12 Principal Apprenticeship Program. To support this effort, NDDPI has launched the Aspiring Principals Pipeline Grant in preparation for the upcoming school year.
EPPs interested in applying for the Aspiring Principals Pipeline Grant funding, please visit the Registered Principal Apprenticeship Program website. The Request for Applications (RFA) will be posted on Friday, April 17, and applications are due by May 8, 2026.
If you have questions, please reach out to Ann Ellefson at (701) 328-2488.
 National Apprenticeship Week April 26-May 2, 2026.
The week of April 26 through May 2, 2026, is National Apprenticeship Week (NAW). The theme for NAW 2026 is America at Work: Making America Skilled Again through Registered Apprenticeship.
Throughout the week, we will also have daily NAW themes:
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Monday, April 27: Registered Apprenticeships Building America at 250
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Tuesday, April 28: Registered Apprenticeship Drives Growth and Innovation Across Critical Industries
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Wednesday, April 29: Expanding AI in Registered Apprenticeship
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Thursday, April 30: Realigning Education and Workforce Systems Around Registered Apprenticeship
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Friday, May 1: Youth Pathways to Registered Apprenticeship
NAW Event Planning Toolkit provides a range of helpful resources to support organizations in planning successful NAW events.
Some of these tools are highlighted below.
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Event Planning Checklist: Whether you’ve already submitted a NAW event or are considering hosting one, this checklist will help you get started.
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Sample Event Agenda: Use the sample agenda and mock run-of-show as a resource to finalize event logistics.
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Invitation Tips: These tips will help you build your invite list, and the sample invitation can serve as a template or inspiration for creating your own.
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Messaging: Use these NAW facts and messages to reinforce the “why” behind Registered Apprenticeship or to help prepare event presenters.
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How to Submit an Event: Visit the Submit a NAW Event link on Apprenticeship.gov.
RAP‑T Apprentice Spotlight: Hailey Veitenheimer
Hailey Veitenheimer, a Mayville State University RAP‑T apprentice, began at South Middle School in 2020 as a paraprofessional in the Autism/ID program, where she quickly showed a strong passion for special education. While balancing full‑time work, college coursework, and coaching, she consistently demonstrated initiative and a growing instructional skill set. As she progressed through the RAP‑T program, she applied new strategies directly in the classroom, strengthening both her confidence and effectiveness.
A recent literacy lesson highlighted this growth. Using the “I Do, We Do, You Do” model, Hailey guided her 6th–8th grade students through identifying and producing rhyming words. Students moved from teacher modeling to independent practice, actively reading, matching words, and explaining their reasoning. One student who typically struggles proudly announced, “I knew it! They sound the same at the end!”—a moment that earned encouragement from classmates and reflected the supportive environment Hailey creates.
This lesson demonstrates her thoughtful approach: using scaffolding, guided practice, and consistent celebration of student progress. She plans to incorporate more movement-based activities to further engage learners. Her advice to future teachers is simple but meaningful—stay patient, be flexible, and recognize every step of growth.
Hailey’s journey shows how the RAP‑T program equips aspiring educators with practical skills, strong instructional foundations, and the ability to make an immediate impact in their classrooms.
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Rethinking College & Career Preparation in Schools
In February 2026, Avinash Bansal who is the founder of TomoClub, attended a session at the national Elementary & Secondary Education Act (ESEA) conference that highlighted the work happening in North Dakota to support college & career readiness. Following the session, he invited North Dakota to participate in a podcast and share our work. The podcast information is listed below.
TomoClub is an organization that provides professional development and resources to help build future-ready human skills together, so students learn how to think, decide, collaborate and lead in an AI-powered world. They prepare students for what's next. To learn more about TomoClub, click here.
EPP Quarterly Reporting Reminder
EPPs are reminded to complete key reporting tasks to maintain compliance and accurate data for USDOL reporting:
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End of Semester Report: EPPs will be requested to complete this report for data collection.
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Feedback Surveys: The insights from EPPs, districts and apprentices help evaluate program impact and guide improvements.
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RAPIDS Updates: Updated RAPIDS Excel sheets must be sent to NDDPI within 45 days of any changes (completers, withdrawals, new enrollments) to ensure accurate tracking and compliance.
Thank you for staying on top of these requirements—your efforts keep RAP-T running smoothly!
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 Free Professional Development for Aspiring Teachers — SubSchool
As a reminder, NDDPI, in partnership with the Education Standards & Practices Board (ESPB) and NCGYO, is providing FREE professional development this year through SubSchool. SubSchool offers multiple opportunities to build skills and knowledge through a dynamic, modern virtual learning platform.
Free SubSchool memberships are available to all North Dakota substitute teachers, PTP and RAP-T participants. Click here to set up your account!
Openings Still Available in RAP-T Program
Led by NDDPI, North Dakota’s RAP-T is building a stronger educator workforce through teacher apprenticeships. The program has expanded from a single-district pilot to a statewide initiative serving 46 districts. RAP-T helps paraprofessionals become licensed teachers through coursework, mentoring, and academic support.
A few spots remain for the upcoming term. Interested paraprofessionals should contact the following EPPs for details.
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BSC and VCSU Launch Collaborative Degree to Address Teacher Shortage
Bismarck State College (BSC) and Valley City State University (VCSU) have introduced a new four‑year collaborative teaching degree aimed at addressing North Dakota’s ongoing teacher shortage. This innovative program allows students to remain on the BSC campus while earning dual degrees: a Bachelor of Applied Science in Foundations of Teaching from BSC and a Bachelor of Science in Education from VCSU. Students complete coursework from both institutions each semester and receive full access to BSC’s advising, tutoring, and financial aid services. With 28 students already enrolled, the partnership strengthens the region’s teacher pipeline by combining BSC’s student‑centered approach with VCSU’s long-standing expertise in educator preparation.
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QUESTIONS?
This monthly newsbrief is a collaborative partnership between NDDPI and the ESPB. Questions can be addressed to the following:
Laurie Matzke, Chief of Program Development & Growth, NDDPI
lmatzke@nd.gov at (701) 328-2284
Dr. Rebecca Pitkin, Executive Director, ESPB
rpitkin@nd.gov at (701) 328-9646
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