Pulitzer Center Update January 13, 2021

Applications Open: Spring 2021 Pulitzer Center Teacher Fellowship

Authors:
Apply now for the spring 2021 Pulitzer Center Teacher Fellowship!
Apply now for the spring 2021 Pulitzer Center Teacher Fellowship!

How can engagement with underreported global news stories support existing curricula, while also preparing students to engage curiously, critically, and empathetically with the world? As part of this paid, virtual fellowship, a small cohort of educators will explore this question in a community with other passionate fellows, award-winning journalists, and the Pulitzer Center education team.

Fellows will develop short units (three–10 class periods) that engage their students in making local connections to global news, practicing media literacy skills, and building empathy. Fellows will then implement their short units, evaluate student outcomes, and share their projects publicly through the Pulitzer Center's online lesson library and virtual professional development programs. Spring 2021 applicants will have the option to apply for one or both of the following fellowship tracks:

1. Stories of Migration: Going beyond the headlines (open to educators nationwide)

2. Journalism and Justice: Making local connections to global issues (open to educators in Chicago, Illinois, exclusively)

Click here to apply! The application deadline has been extended to Wednesday, February 17 at 11:59pm EST.

Upon successful completion of the program, fellows will be provided with …

  • An $800 stipend
  • A Pulitzer Center Teacher Fellow digital badge
  • A certificate for 25 professional learning units (PLUs)

If you have questions after reading the eligibility requirements and fellowship details below, please reach out to us at [email protected].

The Pulitzer Center seeks to forward diversity, equity, and inclusion through our programs and partnerships. Please review our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion statement for more information on our commitments. Educators from historically marginalized backgrounds, and/or educators who are teaching students from historically marginalized backgrounds, are strongly encouraged to apply.

Eligibility Requirements

This fellowship is open to all classroom teachers (grades four–12) working in public, charter, independent, and alternative schools in the United States and U.S. territories. Educators working with adults and youth in jails, prisons, or youth detention facilities are also encouraged to apply. Applicants must be currently teaching virtually or in person in spring 2021, and plan to continue teaching in their current school at least through the end of the 2020–21 school year.

Because all sessions will be held virtually, applicants must have stable internet access and a computer with a webcam and microphone.

Fellowship Description and Requirements

Fellows will participate in a virtual orientation on Saturday, March 6, 2021, and join six evening sessions in March and April. Each evening session will be two hours long. Sessions will include seminars with award-winning journalists, exploration and evaluation of news resources, modeling of curriculum design and activities to engage students, and peer feedback. All sessions will be held live via Zoom.

With the support of the Pulitzer Center education team, all fellows will then …

  • Craft curriculum for a short unit related to their fellowship program theme
  • Facilitate their unit with students during the spring 2021 semester
  • Evaluate their students' work, and provide documentation of their project in the form of student work, lesson plans, teaching materials, evaluation materials, and/or images and video.

Fellows' work will be shared on the Pulitzer Center website. Fellows may also have the opportunity to participate in teacher professional development webinars and/or conference presentations.

The fellowship will launch on Saturday, March 6, 2021, and conclude on Saturday, June 19, 2021. While the exact amount of time spent by each fellow will depend on their classes and projects, we anticipate the fellowship time commitment to be approximately 60 hours. This includes participation in virtual workshops, project design, project implementation, and project evaluation.

Fellowship Track 1: Stories of Migration: Going beyond the headlines (open to educators nationwide)

In this fellowship program, fellows will explore reporting on migration and consider how these stories can help them—and their students—make local connections to global communities, practice media literacy skills, and build empathy. Going beyond the headlines to examine underreported stories of migration, fellows will engage with journalists and news stories focused on such issues as migration policies, systemic drivers of migration, oppression of migrant communities, and resistance to oppression. Teacher fellows in this program will design units that empower students to share their learning and connections.

Fellowship Track 2: Journalism and Justice: Making Local Connections to Global Issues (open to educators in Chicago exclusively)

This fellowship program for educators based in Chicago, Illinois, will examine underreported news stories on issues such as climate change, migration, racial justice, and public health in order to make connections between local and global communities, practice media literacy skills, examine the intersections of journalism and civic engagement, and build empathy. Fellows will engage with journalists based in Chicago to evaluate methods for raising awareness about systemic local issues. Fellows will also connect with journalists around the world to examine how reporting on global issues can inspire new insight into local issues. Teacher fellows in this program will design class projects that empower students to communicate connections between global and local communities, identify underreported justice issues in their communities, and take civic action.

Key Dates: 

Key Dates for Stories of Migration Fellowship (open to educators nationwide):

  • Saturday, March 6 11:30–4:30pm ET: Fellowship orientation
  • Wednesday, March 10 7:00–9:00pm ET: Journalist engagement / workshop
  • Wednesday, March 17 7:00–9:00pm ET: Workshop
  • Wednesday, March 24 7:00–9:00pm ET: Journalist engagement / workshop
  • Wednesday, March 31 7:00–9:00pm ET: Workshop
  • Wednesday, April 7 7:00–9:00pm ET: Journalist engagement / workshop
  • Wednesday, April 14 7:00–9:00pm ET: Mini-unit peer review / workshop
  • Saturday, June 19 1:00–3:00pm ET: Virtual celebration/sharing

Key Dates for Journalism and Justice Fellowship (open to educators in Chicago)

  • Saturday, March 6 10:30–3:30pm CT: Fellowship orientation
  • Thursday, March 11 7:00–9:00pm ET: Journalist engagement / workshop
  • Thursday, March 18 7:00–9:00pm ET: Workshop
  • Thursday, March 25 7:00–9:00pm ET: Journalist engagement / workshop
  • Thursday, April 1 7:00–9:00pm ET: Workshop
  • Thursday, April 8 7:00–9:00pm ET: Journalist engagement / workshop
  • Thursday, April 15 7:00–9:00pm ET: Mini-unit peer review / workshop
  • Saturday, June 19 12:00-2:00pm CT: Virtual celebration/sharing

Apply Now!

Click here to apply for the spring 2021 Pulitzer Center Teacher Fellowship. Applications are due Wednesday, February 17 at 11:59pm EST.

If you have additional questions, please contact us by emailing [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!