Rooted in Community, Guided by Principle: Student Narratives from a GYO Program

Grow Your Own (GYO) programs have been cited as a potential solution to addressing both teacher shortages and increasing teacher diversity. Although there are many types of GYO programs designed for various audiences, few programs are designed specifically to attract students of color to the teacher workforce. This study explores how students of color (N = 13) in the Pathways2Teaching (P2T) Grow Your Own (GYO) program describe their experiences. Using the program’s guiding principles as conceptual framework, the researchers analyzed students’ interviews with qualitative methods. The findings highlight the important alignment between guiding principles and students’ experience within the program. This study seeks to contribute to the growing literature on GYOs by emphasizing the importance of centering and elevating students’ perspectives on their participation in a GYO program.