The Montana Teacher Residency Program (MTRP) is a state sponsored alternative student teaching opportunity for higher-education students in Montana seeking initial teacher licensure. Since launching in 2022, the MTRP continues to help prepare aspiring teachers to best serve their students through  a paid, immersive, full year experience, to connect theory to practice, and to gain the skills of highly effective practitioners.

In addition to giving Resident Teachers a more in-depth experience, the MTRP was designed with the goal of incentivizing teaching in a wider range of communities across the state and increasing long-term teacher retention by working with rural and understaffed districts. In exchange for committing to teach in a Montana public school district for three years, Resident Teachers receive a monthly stipend, tuition support, and district-provided housing assistance.

The Montana Teacher Residency Program is the first of its kind in the state, co-developed by representatives from the Montana University System, the Office of Public Instruction, school districts, the Montana School Boards Association, legislators, and residency model experts from Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Our Vision

Cultivate the educator → Empower the educator → Strengthen Montana schools.

Cultivate a sustainable pipeline of dedicated educators committed to serving Montana's rural and understaffed public schools.

Empower future teachers through immersive, guided experiences that develop confidence, expertise, and a student-centered mindset.

Strengthen Montana's public schools by preparing educators who are ready to thrive, lead, and remain in the profession in Montana for years to come.

Our Mission

Provide an  alternative pathway for students seeking initial licensure to undertake a paid, full-academic year of guided classroom experience with seasoned Montana educators, facilitating a real-world experience and enhancing new teachers’ commitment to Montana public schools.