Teacher Fellowships
Applications now open- deadline Friday 19 April 2013
What are Teacher Fellowships?
Teacher Fellowships provide practical support for local teachers to develop and lead a community-focused project. The University of Nottingham is committed to having a positive and lasting influence on society. We want to make an impact that will touch generations of lives, both locally and globally. We are committed to helping young people make the most of their lives and we are committed to contributing to our local communities. As part of this commitment, the University has established a programme of Teacher Fellowships, which we award annually on a competitive basis. We invite teachers in secondary and post-16 schools and colleges in the East Midlands region to apply.
Teacher Fellows develop and lead projects that are designed to:
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contribute to positive change in the school’s local community;
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facilitate the development of speaking and listening skills in young people;
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provide opportunities for students from the school and adults from the community to work together to a shared purpose;
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be achievable within a limited time scale.
To assist with the project, Teacher Fellows assemble and lead an Action Team, including students from the school, a link person from the school’s senior management team, and members of the local community, as appropriate. Staff from the School of Education and the Widening Participation Team work with Teacher Fellows on the design of their projects, advising on academic issues, project planning and evaluation. Widening Participation Team staff also assist with practical arrangements for visits to the University and seek to engage relevant members of University staff to support projects where possible. This may be through academic staff offering advice on aspects of the project, or providing an academic taster session, experiment etc on a related topic. The Community Partnerships Team advises on community engagement and, where possible, provides contacts.
Benefits to Teacher Fellows?
Teacher Fellowships provide opportunities:
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for professional refreshment through engagement with the project, local research and inquiry;
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to develop better knowledge of an aspect of the community their school serves;
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to work closely with a group of students and members of the community to achieve an outcome that will be a source of pride for themselves, the school and the local community;
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to excite students through learning that is relevant, purposeful and not necessarily bounded by the school curriculum;
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to develop a close working relationship with colleagues from the University and access support in conducting and disseminating their project.
Teacher Fellows may receive a grant of up to £2700 to provide teaching cover or similar, to allow them time to organise and run the agreed project. This grant is subject to the University’s approval and requires confirmation from the Teacher Fellow’s school of how it will be used. An additional sum of up to £900 per project is available to cover the costs of materials and group travel to the University.
Teacher Fellows will have access to the University library and other relevant facilities, by arrangement. We hope that Teacher Fellows will retain some association with the University after the 12 months of their Fellowship.For
What Outcomes should projects have?
By the end of the project, the Teacher Fellow should be able to demonstrate the positive change in the community effected by the project. This could include, for example, the development of a new resource, an event or improved facilities. In addition, Teacher Fellows should be able to provide evidence of the following more generic benefits:
Students from the participating school will:
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have worked with their families and/or other adults in the community to a shared purpose;
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have developed speaking and listening skills that are useful in a broad range of situations;
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have developed confidence and appropriate social skills for intergenerational interaction;
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have gained more knowledge, with their families, about higher education and how to access it;
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have visited the University, had contact with undergraduates and experienced topics or styles of learning used in higher education;
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understand and appreciate, through sustained involvement, some of the ways in which the knowledge, skills and values associated with university education connect to their own community;
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be aware of the extra-curricular opportunities available through the University’s Widening Participation programme.
The University expects Teacher Fellows and students to present their project’s achievements at a celebration event at the University, to which they may invite school staff, parents and members of the community.
Other Information.
This is an annual scheme and the Fellowship lasts 12 months, though it is expected the projects will run for a shorter period. The University is offering up to five Fellowships in 2013-14, and expects to increase this number in subsequent years.
In order to enhance the University’s diversity and widening participation mission, Teacher Fellows are also expected to be active in supporting broader widening participation activities in their school during the year of their Fellowship. The University’s Widening Participation Team will contribute activities by arrangement. Through these activities, and through engagement in the Fellowship project linked to the University, it is intended that more local young people will understand the benefits of higher education.
We expect that projects will be extra-curricular, though they might have strong roots in the formal curriculum. We will be pleased to discuss any ideas with potential applicants in advance of an application.
How to Apply.
Please read the information in the attached documents carefully.
Application form and requirements
Timeline
further information, please contact:
Peter Gates
e:peter.gates@nottingham.ac.uk
t:+44(0) 115 9514432
Martina Daykin
e:martina.daykin@nottingham.ac.uk
t:+44(0) 0115 9514502