School Team Criteria
Assembling your School Team of 3-5 teachers is an important part of a successful application, and your School Team must meet the criteria listed below.
- School-Based Teams
- Applicants must apply as part of a school-based team of 3-5 teachers from the same school.
- Prospective School Teams are not selected based upon the number of applicants, but rather on quality of the applicants and the ability for the team to work together.
- Middle Grades STEM Teachers with a Strong Commitment to Growth
- Teachers must be a teacher-of-record for at least one STEM-related course in Grades 4-8.
- The STEM Teaching Fellowship is particularly well-suited for:
- Middle school math or science teachers
- Teachers of engineering (e.g. Project Lead the Way) or integrated STEM (e.g. those leading a STEM or Innovation Lab)
- Technology/computer science teachers who focus on programming or coding and who seek to integrate math or science in their courses
- Our program is not well-suited for:
- IT coordinators or teachers with classes focused on typing, mouse skills, word processing, or other productivity apps
- Early-Career Focus
- Early career teachers are primed for growth in this program. Prospective teams consisting of at least one early career teacher – defined as having 3-10 years of teaching experience – will be given preference during the selection process.
- Commitment to Existing School
- Applicants must intend to remain teaching at their existing school for the duration of the Fellowship (2 academic years).
- Leadership Support
- Prospective School Teams must receive a Recommendation Form (initiated during the application process) from their principal approving their full participation in the program.
- Program Commitment
- Accepted applicants must attend all three Summer Institutes and remain on campus at Notre Dame, residentially, during the Summer Institutes.
- Fellows attend two mid-year, in-person RISE Summits at an off-campus location in January.
- Fellows engage in virtual instructional coaching and participate in group coaching calls throughout the academic year.
Ready to build your team?
If you have questions about your team’s eligibility or the application process, please reach out to us at stemfellows@nd.edu or [RFI Link: Request More Information].
