Black Educators Promise Alumni Fellowship Black Educators Promise Alumni Fellowship

A teacher at the front of the classroom points to students with raised hands.

In 2020, TFA launched the Black Educators Promise Initiative, funded by Ballmer group, which is a $10 million/5 year project to increase recruitment and retention of Black educators.

About the Black Educators Promise Initiative

The Black Educators Promise Initiative (BEP) is designed to increase TFA’s and the sector’s understanding of what resources are needed, and when, to best support Black teachers and increase the number of Black educators in the field. To that end, the purpose of the BEP Fellowship is to provide tangible and targeted support to Black TFA alumni educators to facilitate their retention as classroom teachers. 

Target participants are Black TFA alumni in their 4th or 5th year of teaching who are teaching in a low income school in our TFA regions. The Pilot year included 10 Fellows, 8 females and 2 males. In the second year, the program grew to 15 Fellows, with 6 males and 9 females.

As part of the BEP Fellowship, Fellows will receive and participate in the following:

  • Award

    $1000 award to facilitate their continued classroom leadership.

  • Professional Development Series

    In partnership with the Children’s Defense Fund, Fellows will participate in the Children’s Defense Fund’s Ella Baker Child Policy Training Institute Professional Development Seminar. The Seminar consists of the following 6 sessions, each occurring on one Saturday in selected months:

    1. Historical Overview of Teaching During the Civil Rights Movement and Movement for Black Lives 
    2. Culturally Relevant Curriculum Development 
    3. CDF Freedom Schools Integrated Reading Curriculum
    4. Social Emotional Learning and Trauma Informed Care
    5. Parent and Family Engagement 
    6. Black Futures and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies

  • CDF Freedom Schools Book Bundle

    Each fellow will receive a bundle of relevant books to include in their culturally responsive classroom library.

  • 1-1 Coaching & Cohort Support

    In partnership with Profound Impact, Fellows will receive at least 20 hours of one-on-one coaching and join a collaborative gender/geography-based cohort of educators to help dismantle isolation barriers and build a community of practice. Fellows will also attend workshops, conferences, and education retreats tailored to the needs identified in their professional growth plans.

    Each workshop, retreat, and conference supports the following focus areas:

    1. Character Development: The development of personal goals and identity
    2. Content Development: Pedagogical development for effective, research-based teaching
    3. Community Impact Leadership: Accessing leadership pathways for educators of color

  • Conference Sponsorship

    During the Fellowship year, Fellows will have the opportunity to be sponsored to attend TFA BCA partner conferences, such as the Black on Black Education Conference, the Black Male Educator Convening, and other relevant events.

Application

The application for the 2023 Fellowship cohort will open in June 2023.

 

Previous Black Educator Promise Fellows

Meet the previous cohorts of our Black Educators Promise Alumni Fellowship.
2021 Fellows
2022 Fellows