Scheduled speaker Edel Fernandez remained out of town, taking care of a family emergency. Dr. Anne Marie Leland and Club President Todd Sesker filled in, discussing a program Faribault Public Schools is involved in known as Grow Your Own. The program, which is funded with grant money, is a collaboration with seven other area school districts, and is designed to help reduce the teacher shortage by encouraging high school students to become teachers and hopefully return to work for their alma mater. In particular, the program seeks to encourage students of color to go into the education field. Just 3% of Minnesota’s teachers are people of color, said Leland. That’s especially important for Faribault Public Schools where nearly 60% of its students are people of color. “We want to make sure our students are comfortable and have teachers who look like them,” she said. The program is also beneficial in that it encourages students to take more rigorous courses. Nearly 100 students have benefitted from the program. Sesker noted that beginning in 2022-23, the district will offer a construction pathway program for students interested in construction-related careers. | 
