Logistics
Ignite fellows are not employees of TFA but do receive a financial award for their service, ranging from $800 - $1,200 in the fall and $1,000 - $1,400 in the spring. Award amount is based on the tutoring start date you choose, your attendance, and renewing for a second semester. Fellows will receive your financial award via direct deposit as a lump sum, pre-tax after completing your Fellowship commitment (Dec/Jan for fall fellows, May for spring fellows).
It is important to note that the amount of tax will vary depending on the individual’s tax situation and TFA does not give guidance as to how much a fellow can expect to be taxed (please consult a tax professional for more information specific to your situation).
Watch this overview video to understand how the total financial award is determined.
Most fellows will tutor with only one placement, however there is sometimes an option to sign up for more than one tutoring placement. If this option is available to you, we will share the details during the sign up window just prior to the start of the Fellowship.
The commitment with students is entirely virtual and during K-12 school hours. Given our program is hyper-local, school schedules vary based on need and time zone.
Typically, fellows can expect to work virtually with students directly for about 2 hours a week, and complete any collaboration, prep, or independent work for about 2 hours a week.
Both days and times with students are pre-set and cannot be adjusted. However, you will have the opportunity to choose the student learning group that works best for your schedule.
Some example schedules:
M T W Th F 2:25-2:55 pm
M T Th F 12:37-1:17 pm
T W TH 10:45-11:45 am
Research on high-impact tutoring shows that tutor consistency is critical to students feeling safe and growing academically. In addition to impeding student impact, fellow absences cause logistical complications and require additional work forIgnite Site Leaders, other fellows, and staff at your assigned school. For these reasons, we take attendance very seriously and ask that you commit to a goal of 100% attendance during the Fellowship.
We expect fellows to schedule foreseeable obligations such as travel plans, doctor's visits, and meetings with professors, at times that do not conflict with their tutoring schedule. If an absence is truly unavoidable due to extenuating circumstances beyond your control (e.g., a significant illness or medical emergency, family emergency or bereavement, an exam that cannot be made-up at another time, etc.), we expect fellows to give their Ignite Site Leaders as much advance notice as possible.
If at any time before or during the semester you determine that you will need to miss multiple tutoring sessions for any reason (e.g., international travel with no access to wifi, planned medical procedure, etc.), please share this immediately with both Ignite (ignite@teachforamerica.org) and your Ignite Site Leader so we may consider your specific circumstances and determine whether you can continue in the Fellowship.
Please note: fellow financial awards are based on strong, consistent attendance. Repeated absence may result in a delay or reduction of your financial award, and can result in dismissal from the Fellowship.
The fall Fellowship runs from Sept. 8 - Dec. 12, 2025.
The spring Fellowship runs from Jan. 20 - May 1, 2026.
The first two weeks of these Fellowship dates are dedicated to fellow training, including online orientation meetings and self-paced virtual modules. Ignite fellows begin working with students in the third week of the Fellowship.
This depends on your university internship policies. Figuring out what is needed for internship credit is up to you and the program you are in. We are happy to help support with documentation if needed.
Fellows will work with between 2 and 3 students at a time, depending on the needs of the school.
Ignite operates across all U.S. time zones. During the sign-up process, we ask that you pay close attention to the time zone listed and convert to your local time if needed. It is important to know how your time zone aligns with other time zones when going through the sign-up process.
Additionally, for fellows placed with a school in Arizona or Hawai'i, or who live in Arizona or Hawai'i, there are special directions when it comes to Daylight Savings time as Arizona and Hawai'i do not participate in Daylight Savings practices. This means that for fellows matched with Arizona or Hawai'i but who are located in a different time zone, or for fellows who live in Arizona or Hawai'i but are matched with a school in another state, there will be a shift in your time part way through the Fellowship. Please use an online time zone converter to check specific dates.
After you apply you will be notified if you have been accepted and will have the opportunity to sign up for a tutoring placement. A few weeks before the start of the Fellowship, you will be able to review an online sign up tool that gives an overview of available days, times, grades, subjects, and school communities. You are then able to sign up for a tutoring placement that best fits your schedule.
However, it is important to note that this is a first-come, first-serve approach. Not everyone who receives an offer to join Ignite will find a tutoring placement that works for their schedule. Should that happen, you will have the option to defer to the following semester.
You will have the opportunity to meet other fellows in the program through the virtual live orientations that take place prior to the Fellowship. While there may be other fellows working with your same school, how you interact with them will depend on the school set up. Our Ignite Team encourages fellows at the same university to connect and build community.
TFA Ignite is virtual and will take place with schools across Teach For America communities in the 2025-26 school year. TFA Ignite is currently partnering with schools and students in these communities across the U.S.
There are no opportunities to engage with kids in person. However, there are opportunities to engage with other fellows in person depending on your college campus.
You will use an online platform designed specifically for virtual tutoring to connect with students online. You will receive onboarding, training, and ongoing support to use the virtual tutoring platform as an Ignite fellow. You will need a computer with a working speaker, microphone, and camera, as well as a strong and secure internet connection.