Teaching Fellowship Competition
Contest details
November, 2010 – Cambridge, Massachusetts - The SEVEN Fund is pleased to announce a competition inviting K – 12 teachers and administrators from around the United States to apply for a Summer 2011 Fellowship. The SEVEN Fund 2011 Teaching Fellowships enable teachers to travel to Rwanda and study enterprise solutions to poverty.
Quick Links:
• Background
• About SEVEN
• Questions & Answers
• Important Dates
• Terms & ConditionsBackground
The objective of the Fellowship is to introduce the concepts of business solutions to poverty within the K-12 curriculum. Winners will be invited to spend two weeks in Rwanda, meeting with leaders in the private, government, and education sectors. Individual meetings and trips will also be facilitated depending upon the interests of the winning teachers. For example, a biology teacher might spend time with scientists working in Rwanda’s emerging biotech cluster; an art teacher might travel the country to study artisan cooperatives specializing in different handicrafts; a journalism teacher might shadow the editor of a major national Rwandan publication.
Three Fellows will be selected from public school settings, and one Fellow will be chosen from a faith-based school. Each year, our Faith-based Fellowship focus rotates; our 2011 Faith-Based Fellowship will focus on a K-12 teacher from a Catholic School environment. Interested applicants must submit applications online by February 15th, and the winners will be notified in early March.
What will the Fellowship include?
Fellows will travel to Rwanda for a two-week period during Summer 2011. The exact dates will be determined with the winners, but will occur between June and August 2011. Fellows will be provided with round-trip coach class airfare, lodging, and a daily stipend to cover incidental expenses, such as meals and local transportation.
During the two weeks, the Fellows will meet leaders from around Rwanda; will attend sessions led by SEVEN Fund principals exploring the concepts of business solutions to poverty; will explore for-profit ventures across different sectors in Rwanda; and will complete an individual project that aligns with their personal and academic interests.
Fellows are required to commit to the entire two-week period in Rwanda. In addition, Fellows will be asked to:
- Write a personal essay, suitable for publication on a blog or in an industry publication, exploring their experiences (e.g. Huffington Post’s Education Section; the Chronicle for Higher Education, etc.);
- Develop a series of at least five lesson plans exploring enterprise solutions to poverty within their subject area, and share those lesson plans online as a reference point for other teachers;
- Complete at least two community-based talks, e.g. at your school, local library, rotary club, etc. exploring experiences in Rwanda and with enterprise solutions to poverty;
When these activities are satisfactorily completed, during the 2011 – 12 academic year, Fellows will receive a $1,000 stipend.
How can I learn more about enterprise solutions to poverty and Rwanda?
Applicants interested in learning more about enterprise solutions to poverty are encouraged to explore SEVEN’s website at www.sevenfund.org and to read the recently published collection of essays In the River They Swim: Essays from Around the World on Enterprise Solutions to Poverty (Templeton Press, May 2009).
Rwanda has recently received negative press in connection with its Presidential election season, and many people in the US are unfamiliar with the country beyond portrayals of its 1994 genocide. Today, Rwanda is a very safe country that’s made outstanding progress in critical areas including economic growth and security. Applicants interested in learning more about Rwanda are encouraged to consult the following resources. (Please note - selected Fellows will be provided with a package of substantial background material on Rwanda to review prior to the Fellowship experience):
1. Michael Fairbanks’ article “Rwanda's president leads an inspiring turn-around” from the Washington Post:
http://views.washingtonpost.com/leadership/guestinsights/2010/02/paul-kagame-leadership.html2. Jeff Chu’s article, “Rwanda Rising: A New Model of Economic Development,” from Fast Company Magazine: http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/134/special-report-rwanda-rising.html
About SEVEN
SEVEN (Social Equity Venture Fund) is a non-profit entity run by entrepreneurs whose strategy is to markedly increase the rate of innovation and diffusion of enterprise solutions to poverty. It does this by targeted investment that fosters thought leadership through books, films and websites; supporting role models - whether they are entrepreneurs or innovative firms - in developing nations; and shaping a new discourse in government, the press and the academy around private-sector innovation, prosperity and progressive human values.
Questions & Answers
Who can participate in this competition?
The 2011 SEVEN Fund Teaching Fellowship competition is open to any K – 12 public school or Catholic School teacher or administrator in the United States. Teachers may be in any field of study or discipline.
Where do I get a paper application?
There is no paper application required for this competition. Applications should be submitted online following the instructions in the section below: “How do I submit my application?”
What must my application package include?
Application packages must include the following:
- A personal statement of no more than 1000 words addressing 1) how the 2011 Teaching Fellowship will enable you to integrate enterprise solutions to poverty into your teaching; 2) an understanding of what you hope to learn, both personally and as an educator, from participating in the Fellowship; and 3) specific factors differentiating you from other applicants, especially those that signal excellence, rigor, and potential for impact, that the jury should take into consideration when awarding Fellowships.
- A resume or CV;
- Two letters of recommendation, including one from a person who can attest to the impact of your teaching or leadership (such as a student, former student, colleague, or parent);
- A sample lesson plan;
- Contact information for your current supervisor, to verify employment;
How do I submit my application?
- Submit your essay electronically in a MS Word or PDF format only using the submission form on SEVEN’s website. All information requested, including contact information, abstract, and essay should be included in your submission.
The URL is: http://www.sevenfund.org/teaching-fellowship/entry-form.phpAlong with the submission, you MUST include the following information in the submission form:
- Your full name and mailing address, a contact telephone number, and your email.
- Subject area(s) and grade(s) taught.
- Leadership position at your school.
Does SEVEN have a preferred philosophical or scientific agenda?
We see a number of experts who opine about poverty and prosperity: i.e., macroeconomists, businessmen, educators, political scientists, social scientists, etc. We rarely see enough integration, where the experts of one domain borrow insights from another, and attempt to create an even more robust intellectual framework. We intend to foster this kind of integration, at the level of thought leader and practitioner.
Is this trip of specific interest to language teachers?
Rwanda is a multi-lingual country. French, English, and Kinyarwanda are all widely spoken. Teachers of all disciplines are invited to apply. The Fellowship offers a unique opportunity to French speakers, especially French instructors, to interact with a broad group of speakers in a Francophone African nation.
Does SEVEN have any guidance to applicants preparing a submission?
Materials, especially the personal statement and the letters of recommendation, should be original works that directly address the Fellowship. We strongly discourage applicants from repurposing personal statements from other applications or providing generic letters of reference. Repurposed papers are easy to spot, and lack the integration and insight necessary to demonstrate the potential impact of this Fellowship on your teaching. Further, any incident of plagiarism will be treated very seriously, and reported to the appropriate individuals including those plagiarized and relevant professional or academic authorities.
How long should the application be?
Personal statements should not be longer than 1000 words. Resumes and CVs should not be longer than 2 pages. Each individual letter of reference should not exceed 2 pages.
How many Fellows will be selected?
Three Fellows will be selected from public schools around the United States. One Fellow will be selected from a Catholic School.
How will applications be judged?
All applications that comply with the call for submissions rules will undergo a competitive process of a confidential jury review. The winning applicants will be required to enter into a contract with SEVEN prior to final award.
What if I am unable to submit my application electronically?
Only applications submitted through this form on our website are accepted. If you encounter problems, please contact SEVEN at info@sevenfund.org.
What sort of legal organization is SEVEN?
SEVEN is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
What if I have additional questions?
You may send your questions Ms. Jessica Ullrich, M.Ed., Program Officer, to info@sevenfund.org
Important Dates
- SEVEN Fund Call for Applications: November, 2011.
- Deadline for Application Submission: February 15, 2011.
- SEVEN Fund Essay Award Announcements: Early March, 2011.
Terms and Conditions:
The SEVEN Fund has sole and absolute discretion to determine which submission entries, if any, merit an award. The SEVEN Fund reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to change, modify, extend or reduce the terms and conditions of, or to suspend or terminate, the competition without prior notice. SEVEN will endeavor to inform participants of any such change, modification, extension, reduction, suspension or termination, as the case may be, through any media outlet deemed appropriate by SEVEN in its sole and absolute discretion. SEVEN further reserves the right to nullify and/or cancel any part or all of the competition if it appears that any fraud or malfunctions have occurred in any form whatsoever. Each participant undertakes to indemnify and keep SEVEN harmless from and against any loss, damage, claims, costs and expenses which may be incurred by or asserted against SEVEN as a result of such participant's participation in the competition.
