The on-going quest to more effectively connect teacher candidates with urban communities and schools drives the examination of the role of colleges of education within the school/community context. Given that most community-based teacher education programs originate on campus and then move into communities, it is not surprising that a disconnect persists between colleges of education, their students and the communities they strive to serve. In this article, the author will describe a nine-year old partnership between a teacher education program and a community-based organization that is a viable and complementary alternative to campus-based and community-based teacher education programs. The unique partnership between the Logan Square Neighborhood Association (LSNA) and the Bilingual Education Program at Chicago State University (CSU) essentially brought the university to the community at the community-based organization's request. The collaboration was initially funded as a federal Title VII grant. Since it began nine years ago, between 60 and 70 neighborhood residents, many of whom already worked in the community as teacher assistants, school volunteers, and community leaders, have had the opportunity to attend college and work toward a bachelor's degree and teaching credentials. Founded on LSNA's core belief that the members of their urban community can and should serve as resources in schools, Project "Nueva Generacion" (New Generation) is the model for the Grow Your Own teachers initiative in Illinois. The Grow Your Own teachers initiative provides funds to consortia consisting of a community based organization, a college of education, and a school district to recruit and prepare community leaders to become teachers. (Contains 1 note.)