The National Teaching Fellowship is a unique, competitive, two-year professional and leadership development program. The Fellowship is a paid service program that offers a diverse range of experiences to people of varied backgrounds who have high potential as educators and leaders in the non-profit sector. Teaching Fellows (TFs) are essential to the success of the Citizen Schools’ program. These engaging, dedicated, and caring adults work closely with urban middle-school students and their families to help transform lives.
Each TF leads a group of approximately 15-18 students, supporting their academic achievement through structured academic support and by facilitating hands-on, learning activities led by community volunteers. The Citizen Schools’ program offers TFs the opportunity to engage students in a diverse range of educational experiences and provides leadership development support – with the ultimate goal of preparing students for high school success, and enhanced college and career access.
The National Teaching Fellowship
Fellows build strong relationships with their students, engage weekly with families and teachers, and serve as mentors and role-models for middle school students. They have an impact on students by helping them develop leadership and teamwork skills, and confidence; Fellows communicate regularly with teachers, families, and Citizen Teachers to promote middle school achievement, college and career access.
Fellows help students develop skills to be more successful in the classroom. They guide students through curricula designed to increase their Math and English skills, proficiency in test-taking, note-taking and organizational skills, support homework completion, and academic skills building. Fellows build a culture of achievement with their team and in the school campus and are responsible for promoting student grade gains.
Fellows support and coach Citizen Teachers -- community volunteers who share their professional skills or personal interests with students through ten-week hands-on learning projects called apprenticeships. Fellows help Citizen Teachers produce engaging lesson plans, provide academic support, manage student behavior, and support preparation for WOW!s- authentic products, performances, or presentations created by students.
Fellows intern with Citizen Schools, a partner school, or other community organization. Through a morning partnership, Fellows build their professional skills in a nonprofit or school environment, directly impacting civic engagement, curriculum development, or program management.
National Teaching Fellow Qualifications
Successful applicants will possess a range of attributes, including:
- Knowledge of and commitment to the Citizen Schools’ mission
· Demonstrated ability to engage children in groups and a commitment to student achievement
- Academic skills – proficiency in middle school math and English
- Coaching skills and ability to provide and receive constructive feedback
- Commitment to teamwork and collaboration with diverse groups of people
- Desire to work with middle schools students and their families
- Ability to build relationships and influence students, colleagues, and community members
- Capacity for youth development and community building skills
- Strong professional skills, including teamwork, problem-solving, verbal and written communication, detail-orientation, time management, and organization
· Demonstrated leadership ability and interest in the out-of-school time field
- Proficiency in Spanish a plus
- A Bachelor’s degree is required
- Previous instructional experience a plus
- Embodiment of Citizen Schools’ values: Pride, Joy, Respect, Courage, Teamwork, Perseverance, and Vision
National Teaching Fellow Compensation and Benefits
Teaching Fellows receive an annual stipend of $22,800 (paid in monthly, taxable installments), plus a generous benefit package including full health care coverage, 50% dental coverage, vacation time, extensive training, in addition to a transportation allowance or transit pass. Teaching Fellows will receive a $5,550 AmeriCorps Education Award upon successfully completing each year of service. Loan forbearance for qualified student loans is also available through AmeriCorps.
National Teaching Fellowship Application Process
The Fellowship application is available online at: http://www.citizenschools.org/careers/teaching-fellowship/. The admissions process is highly competitive and interested candidates are encouraged to apply by the designated deadlines:
Fall Deadline – November 18, 2011
Winter Deadline – February 2, 2012
Spring Deadline – April 27, 2012
Acceptance notifications are sent out on a rolling basis. All National Teaching Fellows positions begin in Summer 2012; the application process will be open in mid September 2011. Please DO NOT submit more than one application. If you are interested in more than one location, you will have the opportunity to indicate this on your application.
About Citizen Schools
Citizen Schools partners with middle schools to expand the learning day for children across the country. We mobilize a second shift of afternoon educators, who provide academic support, leadership development, and "apprenticeships"undefinedhands-on projects taught by volunteers from business and civic organizations. At Citizen Schools, students develop the skills, knowledge and beliefs they need to succeed in middle school, advance towards college, and become leaders in their careers and communities. Citizen Schools’ approach is innovative, rigorous, and evidence-based. Recent research has reported that high attendance and academic success in middle school are critical indicators of high-school graduation and college completion. We work intensively with students to develop their academic and leadership skills, and forge strong partnerships with students’ families, classroom teachers, corporations, and community organizations to create a network of supportive adults in each student’s life. Citizen Schools offers an array of hands-on learning opportunities that make learning relevant, and introduces students to diverse colleges and careers through trips and projects that connect current learning with future opportunities. Building on sixteen years of programming innovation and results, Citizen Schools is in the midst of a strategic growth plan to scale up its programs to serve almost 7,000 students. We currently operate 43 campuses in seven states (California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina and Texas), serving approximately 4,400 students and engaging 3,400 Citizen Teachers. Citizen Schools has been recognized as a national model program by the U.S. Department of Education, has been named a national winner of Fast Company Magazine’s Social Capitalist Award in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008, and has been chosen by the Skoll Foundation as a winner of the Skoll Social Entrepreneurship Award.
