The Notre Dame STEM Teaching Fellowship provides professional development for individual teachers who are part of a School Team. This team structure is unique in professional development experiences, yet it is critical to achieving sustained impact within school communities. Assembling your School Team of teachers is an important part of a successful application.

As you build your School Team, consider the prompts contained in the Application Guide. To apply, your School Team of STEM teachers must meet the criteria listed below.

1. • 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 and 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

1. • School-Based Teams
     • Applicants must apply as part of a school-based teams of 3 - 5 teachers.
     • 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.

1. • 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. 

1. • Availability & Participation
     • Accepted applicants must attend all three Summer Institutes and remain on campus at Notre Dame, residentially, during the Summer Institutes. Additionally, Fellows will engage in school year work virtually and attend, in-person, two mid-year (January) RISE Summits at rotating sites around the US.
2.  
   • Commitment to Existing School
     • Applicants must intend to remain teaching at their existing school for the duration of the Fellowship (2 academic years).
3.  
   • Administrator/Principal Support
     • Prospective School Teams must receive a Recommendation Form (initiated through the application portal) from their principal approving their full participation in the program.