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About The Equity Institute

The Equity Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing and supporting future education leaders. Through its Educator Pathway Program, the Institute helps individuals—often working full-time and managing families—overcome barriers to becoming licensed teachers. The program provides pathway coaching, financial support, test preparation, and guidance through bachelor’s and graduate-level degree programs.

The Workforce Challenge

Building a more diverse educator workforce requires expanding access to pathways that many aspiring teachers still struggle to navigate and complete.

“Our mission is to build a diverse educator workforce,” says Arryana Olavarria, Director of Educator Pathway Programs at The Equity Institute. “We meet our students where they are, offering them the tools and support to become certified teachers in their communities.”

For many adult learners, the path to teacher licensure is difficult to navigate. Traditional programs may be too rigid—built around fixed schedules and in-person attendance—or too expensive, and requirements like unpaid student teaching can create additional challenges for those balancing work, school and family.

To better support these learners, The Equity Institute identified a need for:

• More affordable pathways to licensure
• Flexible, competency-based learning models
• Student teaching structures that allow learners to keep working
• Institutions that understand and support adult learners’ realities

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In 2022, The Equity Institute partnered with Western Governors University (WGU) to address these challenges. As an online, nonprofit university, WGU offers flexible, competency-based degree programs that lead to teacher licensure. Learners can progress at their own pace, benefit from flat-rate tuition and receive one-on-one support from mentors and instructors.

91ÖĆƬł§ also collaborates with school districts to create student teaching experiences that allow candidates to maintain employment—helping remove one of the most significant barriers to entering the profession.

“Our students are adult learners—this isn’t their first time going back to school,” says Arryana. “WGU’s competency-based model and their willingness to work with districts so students don’t lose their jobs during student teaching made all the difference.”

As the program expanded into Philadelphia, The Equity Institute also collaborated with College Unbound, a small, accredited college serving adult learners. Through its Transformative Education Pathway, College Unbound prepares students to transfer seamlessly into WGU’s licensure-track programs.

“We have built direct partnerships with school districts and charter networks,” explains Swetha Narasimhan, a TA2BA Pathway Specialist at College Unbound. “WGU’s model allows our students to move as quickly as they want, with a cost structure that is a game changer.”

Partnership Impact

The WGU/The Equity Institute partnership is making it possible for more aspiring educators supported by The Equity Institute’s programs to complete their path to licensure while continuing to work. With fewer disruptions to income and greater flexibility, they are able to stay on track and move more efficiently into teaching roles within their communities.