OVERVIEW
What is the Fund for Teachers Fellowship
Program?
In 1998, Raymond Plank, Chairman of Apache Corporation
in Houston, Texas, founded the Fund
for Teachers (FFT), a national nonprofit organization
dedicated to recognizing outstanding and dedicated
teachers across the United States. Since 2003, New
Visions for Public Schools has collaborated with the
Fund for Teachers organization to award FFT fellowships
to New York City teachers.
FFT fellowships support the personal and professional development of outstanding teachers by funding summer learning experiences. Successful applicants complete summer projects designed to support their own unique goals and interests as educators and life-long learners. As a result, these educators return to the classroom with a renewed commitment to teaching as well as with new insights, skills, and resources.
Teachers that meet the eligibility requirements can apply for grants of up to $5,000 for individuals or $10,000 for those applying as a team. FFT fellowships fund an extraordinary variety of applicant-designed summer learning projects. Through their summer projects, FFT fellows:
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Deepen
their mastery of content areas; |
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Develop new instructional
strategies; |
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Return to the classroom
with primary source materials; |
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Create new and enhance
existing curricula; |
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Attain global perspectives; |
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Cultivate professional
relationships with other educators; |
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Learn about the culture
and language of their students; |
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Serve as role models
for students and colleagues by taking on new challenges. |
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What
kinds of projects do teachers undertake?
Since 2003,
more than 300 New York City public school teachers
have pursued their professional interests through
Fund for
Teachers Fellowships. Past Fellows engaged in
a variety of projects, for example:
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In Cambodia,
a Spanish and history teacher researched the landless
farmers' movement with a professional journalist
and assisted a rural literacy specialist in developing
a literacy program. |
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In Sumatra, a science
teacher studied an orangutan population as part
of a Global Vision International research expedition. |
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In Hong Kong and mainland
China, a team of mathematics teachers examined
math teaching methods in urban and rural schools.
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In the northwestern
United States, a biology and earth science teacher
studied the geology of national parks. |
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In the Galapagos
Islands, a science teacher studied evolution
for an interdisciplinary project on law and
evolution.
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In South Africa,
a humanities teacher gathered primary source materials
to be used in curricular units on apartheid and
post-apartheid society. |
Please click on these links to view a complete list
of 2006
or 2007
New York City FFT fellowships.
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WHO
IS ELIGIBLE?
In order to be considered for this fellowship, applicants
must be employed in an eligible
New York City public school. In addition, applicants
must have taught for at least three years by June
2008 in pre-kindergarten through grade twelve and
must spend at least 50 percent of their time in classroom
instruction. Upon acceptance of the fellowship in
April 2008, fellows must commit to returning to teach
in a New York City public school for the entire 2008-09
school year. Teachers may be awarded a FFT fellowship
once every five years.
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HOW DO I APPLY?
Applicants must apply online at www.fundforteachers.org.
The 2008 application deadline is Thursday, January
31 at 5:00 p.m. Central Standard Time.
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And the 2007 Winners Are…
Congratulations to the 2007 Fund For Teachers grant award recipients. To view the list of recipients, please click here
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