This paper outlines how four community colleges, and a large public university, collaborated to support over 80 paraprofessionals who sought to finish their bachelor’s degree and earn licensure. Funding from a statewide “Grow Your Own” initiative allowed the teacher educators at the community colleges and university to put in place structures to support non-traditional students, and each other, during the first year of this program. Lessons learned and next steps are highlighted.

This study examines how pre-service elementary teachers (PSETs) conceptualize equitable science instruction through the lenses of self-efficacy and equity awareness. Using a convergent parallel mixed methods design, quantitative and qualitative data were collected to explore PSETs’ personal self-efficacy and outcome expectancy for teaching students across race, language, gender, and socioeconomic status. Results indicate that PSETs generally report high confidence in supporting racially and ethnically diverse students and students from low-SES backgrounds; however, gaps persist in their perceived abilities to apply culturally sustaining practices, foster student empowerment, and engage in reflexive teaching. These findings suggest that teacher preparation programs should intentionally scaffold experiences for PSETs that integrate mastery-based teaching, reflective fieldwork, and equity-focused pedagogy to strengthen both confidence and competence in equitable science instruction. Implications from this work recommend that teacher educators design curricula and field placements that encourage PSETs to connect students’ identities, assets, and interests to meaningful science learning opportunities, ultimately preparing them to enact inclusive and justice-oriented science teaching.