The Oak Hollow Farm in Fairhope was buzzing on Friday night as Baldwin County Education Coalition hosted their annual "Evening of Education Champions" event to benefit the district's future teacher program.
The event featured live music, food, refreshments and a silent auction to raise funds for both the "Baldwin Bred Future Teacher Program" and the "Josh Hall memorial scholarship."
The future teacher program recognizes Baldwin County graduates and current high school seniors who are pursuing a degree in education, while the memorial scholarship recognizes employees and children of county employees who also strive to become teachers or obtain a degree in education.
Tiffany Wilson, human resources director, said the event was inspired by her desire to support students interested in the education field, while also facilitating community outreach.
"I was a student in Baldwin County, and I'm a living testament of what an impact other educators can have on a person," Wilson said. "So now, that one person can make an impact that can change a life. Imagine the impact that we can make if we continue to bring great people into the field of education."

Wilson said that another purpose of the programs is to address the national teacher shortage by supporting students who plan to pursue an education degree and recruiting them to work in Baldwin County after graduation.
"One of the things we have been up against in the last few years is the teacher shortage, so this doubles the need for us to get creative," Wilson said. "We have to think outside of the box, and that was really born from this group doing just that by recruiting and supporting our students and employees."


More on the program
Per a previous Gulf Coast Media article from February 2022, each scholarship is a $1,000 value and is renewable up to $4,000.
BCBE is looking to have a recipient in each of its feeder patterns, and all Baldwin County Public Schools high school seniors planning to go into the education field are eligible to receive the scholarship.
For more information or to support the scholarship program, visit www.bcbe.org/futureteacher.