Recruitment Strategies

This page includes a repository of strategies, programs, and reports related to the recruitment of teachers, something we also think about as activating the desire within many students to serve their communities in a meaningful way, with a special emphasis on recruiting for diversity. Specific characteristics of future teachers are listed when the resource specifically targets those populations. Resources can be filtered by population and/or type of resource.

Generally, these resources are available at no cost or through a subscription carried by CSU campus libraries.

View a list of barriers to teaching that have been used to address some of the real and perceived obstacles that teaching candidates face.

  • Enlist Faculty Support from Academic Departments

    This recruitment brief from EduCorps director, Ken Futernick, cites research showing that undergraduates who decide to explore teaching as a career path often do so because of encouragement they’ve received from their professors.

    Population: Bilingual Education, Math, Other graduate, Science, Special Education, Students of color, Undergraduate
    Strategy Type: Research Report
    Submitted by: Ken Futernick  educorps@calstate.edu

  • Evening/Weekend/Off-Campus Group Advising Sessions

    ​San Diego State University offers group advising sessions for people interested in teacher credential programs in untraditional formats.

    Population: Community College, Other graduate, Paraprofessionals, Undergraduate
    Strategy Type: Advising and mentoring, Special events
    Submitted by: Edgar Beas  ebeas@sdsu.edu

  • Faculty Champions for Teacher Recruitment (FaCTR Fellows)

    Informed by the realization that (a) many of our own STEM undergraduate students enroll in our teacher credential programs, and (b) students are likely to choose a career path if their own undergraduate major professors advise them towards this career option, we formed a group call

    Population: Math, Science, Undergraduate
    Strategy Type: Promotion by non-ed faculty
    Submitted by: Cal Poly SLO 

  • Faculty Mentors

    Assign faculty mentors to students interested in pursuing careers in teaching. Mentors can help mentees with the application process, find financial aid options, and meet with them throughout their time in the credential program.

    Population: Credential Student, Undergraduate
    Strategy Type: Advising and mentoring, Financial assistance, Promotion by non-ed faculty
    Submitted by: CSU East Bay 

  • Field Trips to Local Schools

    ​For undergraduates who have attended our Celebration of Teaching Events, we plan to organize field trips to local schools for early structured field experiences.  We would bring them to classrooms with teachers who model high impact practices (e.g.

    Population: Community College, High School, Undergraduate
    Strategy Type: Early field experiences, Special events
    Submitted by: Stephanie Biagetti  sbiagetti@csus.edu

  • Financial Incentive for Entrance to Credential Programs

    We offer a $750 scholarship to those who complete our math and science preparation workshop and enter our CSUN credential programs.​

    Population: Math, Science
    Strategy Type: Financial assistance
    Submitted by: CSU Northridge 

  • Financial Incentive for first Math or Science Credential

    We offer a $1000 scholarship to those who attended the CSET preparation workshops and earned their first math or science credential.​

    Population: Math, Science, Undergraduate
    Strategy Type: Financial assistance, Test prep assistance
    Submitted by: CSU Northridge 

  • Financial Support for STEM Conferences

    ​Provide financial support to prospective science and math teachers to attend various professional STEM education conferences (CMC-N, CSTA, etc.).​

    Population: Math, Science
    Strategy Type: Financial assistance, Professional conferences
    Submitted by: CSU Fresno 

  • Free CSET and CBEST Preparation Courses

    We offer ​a free CBEST writing preparation course to help prospective students prepare for the exam. We also provide a free 56-hour CSET preparation course in mathematics and a free 40-hour CEST preparation course in science.

    Population: Credential Student, Math, Science, Undergraduate
    Strategy Type: Financial assistance, Test prep assistance
    Submitted by: CSU Northridge 

  • Future Minority Male Teachers of California Project

    Educators at CSU Northridge recently launched the Future Minority Male Teachers of California Project with four other large, urban CSU campuses to address California's severe shortage of male teachers of color.

    Population: Paraprofessionals, Students of color, Undergraduate
    Strategy Type: Advertising, Presentations, Recruitment fairs
    Submitted by: Ken Futernick  kfuternick@calstate.edu

  • Future STEM-Teacher Scholars Program

    We launched the Future STEM-Teacher Scholars Program in Spring 2015 as a means to highlight campus support for future STEM teachers and to encourage active pre-professional development among those considering a career in math or science teaching.

    Population: Math, Science, Undergraduate
    Strategy Type: Other
    Submitted by: Humboldt State 

  • Get the Facts Out

    Population: Math, Science, Undergraduate
    Strategy Type: Advertising, Presentations, Social media
    Submitted by: Cheryl Ordorica  cordorica@csuchico.edu