Call for Teachers: K–12 Innovation Fellowship

We are seeking passionate educators teaching grades 7–12 who are looking to grow their creative toolbox to become part of our inaugural MIT MAD / WPS Teacher Innovation Fellowship for the upcoming spring term (February to June, 2025).

This is a unique opportunity to shape educational materials and contribute to meaningful open source design and making curriculum. Working together across schools and content areas, fellows will be joining a vibrant learning community committed to reimagining K12 education. Hands-on design and making activities offer important transferable skills to a wide range of subjects — from math and science to English to history.

Submission Due Date: EOD January 24th
Acceptances: January 30th
First meeting: 4–5:30pm, February 6th, at MIT

Who We're Looking For

• Currently employed school teachers
• Grades 7–12, diverse representation across subject areas:
  • Math
  • Science
  • English
  • Art
  • History
  • Engineering
  • Making
  • Librarian

Compensation

• $750 stipend per teacher for the semester (February to June) with the potential to continue to the 2025/26 school year.
• Recognition on the MAD website

Minimum Qualifications

• Minimum of 2 years classroom teaching experience
• Currently teaching in a middle or high school setting
• Experience with diverse learning modalities and student populations
• Commitment to educational innovation

Expected Outcomes

Teachers will:

• Provide critical feedback on interdisciplinary design and making lesson plans and materials
• Help ensure practical classroom applicability
• Gain resources and skills to implement new approaches to hands-on learning
• Develop creative leadership skills

TIME INVESTMENT
A maximum of 5 hours per month, this will be a mix of:

• One in-person session (1.5 hours): Tuesdays or Thursdays from 4–5:30pm at MIT, parking will be reimbursed
• One virtual 30-minute check-in: Tuesdays or Thursdays from 4-5:30pm
• 3 hours (maximum) of asynchronous work such as:
  Individual lesson plan review
  Written feedback submissions

PROGRAM TIMELINE

• February: Program Setup and Orientation — we will have our first meeting from 4-5:30pm on February 6th at MIT
• March, April, May: Active Feedback and Curriculum Development
• June: Comprehensive Program Evaluation

Please fill out this form.

Contact

• Name
• Email
• Grade
• Subject Area
• Years taught
• School and School district
• 2-3 sentences
  • Why are you interested in the Teacher Innovation Fellowship? How did you learn about the program?
  • Tell us about the last time you had fun in the classroom?
  • Tell us about something in the classroom that didn't go as planned or a time you took a risk that didn’t work out? What would you do differently?
• Can you commit to a monthly 90-minute in person feedback session on a Tuesday or Thursday, a 30-minute virtual one-on-one feedback session, and 3 hours of asynchronous work?
• Can you commit to piloting these learning experiences in your classroom as appropriate?

APPLICATION DEADLINE: JANUARY 24, 2025

For more information, please contact designPD[at]mit.edu.

This fellowship will be led by Rachel Adams of WPS and Rosa Weinberg of MAD. Rachel has ten years of experience teaching math to middle schoolers. She has worked for the past two years for WPS leading their translation of design curriculum into public school settings. Rosa has a background as an architect and has taught design and making for over ten years at innovative high schools, including six years at NuVu Studio. She is the K–12 Design Education Lead for MAD, the Morningside Academy for Design at MIT.

MAD

Launched in 2022, the MIT Morningside Academy for Design (MAD) is an interdisciplinary hub that celebrates the transformative power of design. Since its founding, MAD has worked to develop programming to foster innovation, empower individuals, and reshape the way we learn using design tools and methodologies. We believe design initiatives can create transformative experiences for learners. MAD fosters creativity, critical thinking, making, and collaboration, exploring a range of dynamic approaches to prepare students for complex, real-world challenges.

WPS

Since its founding in 2017, the WPS Institute has offered programs for teachers and students with a focus on fostering educational innovation and opportunity. We advance models of schooling where learning thrives everywhere, in classrooms and beyond; where students and their families are empowered to shape their own educational journeys; and where entire communities contribute to the development of young people.

MAD and WPS are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusive education. We strongly encourage applications from educators representing diverse backgrounds and teaching experiences.