High school students of color explore teaching as a career through a school–university partnership course

Purpose This study describes a university-high school Grow Your Own (GYO) dual-enrollment course designed to introduce students to careers in education. Current research on GYO programs asserts that mere recruitment of candidates of color is not sufficient, but that program design is a key element in the support, development and retention of teachers of color in their local communities. Design/methodology/approach This article uses a mixed-methods case study design to examine the perceptions of 11 diverse students about the teaching profession, the course experiences that resonated with them, how likely they are to pursue a career in teaching, and how we can improve, expand and sustain this GYO program. Data sources include a survey, interviews and field observations. Findings Results indicate that students appreciate the work of teaching but are not sure they want to pursue it as a career. Additionally, the most resonant experience for Hmong students was visiting a Hmong dual language immersion school. Findings suggest a need for expanding curriculum, pedagogy, curriculum and field experiences to help students link identity, language and possibilities in the teaching profession. Originality/value The originality and value of this study is that it looks closely at the impact of visiting a bilingual Hmong dual-immersion school on the Hmong students taking the course as well as the complexities of school-university partnerships in the current political landscape.