Engage in dynamic, practice-based sessions rooted in five core leadership pillars. These virtual learning opportunities are designed to help you build skills, reflect deeply, and apply what you learn in real time—within the unique context of your rural school community.

Travel to rural communities across the country to visit innovative schools and connect with local educators. These immersive, in-person gatherings bring RSLA’s values to life—honoring place, learning from peers, and translating insight into action back home.

In your first year after the fellowship, you’ll have the opportunity to pursue university-level certifications through partner institutions. Optional pathways include Harvard Graduate School of Education’s certificates in Instructional Leadership or School Management and Leadership, offering a continued runway for professional growth.​​​

RSLA offers three differentiated tracks to match your current leadership journey: Track 1 for aspiring leaders, Track 2 for those pursuing principalship, and Track 3 for current principals deepening their impact. You’ll learn alongside peers with similar goals while connecting across the broader cohort.​​

Throughout the fellowship, you’ll engage in cross-region collaboration—co-developing solutions, sharing tools, and reflecting on common leadership challenges. These connections extend beyond the program year, building a national network of rural leaders.​

​​Your leadership matters—we invest in it. All program expenses—including travel, lodging, meals, and materials—are fully funded. We remove financial barriers so that you can focus on what matters most: deepening your leadership and creating lasting impact in your community.

Rural schools are typically located in communities with small populations and geographic isolation. RSLA fellows come from a wide range of rural and Native-serving contexts across the country. If you’re unsure whether your school qualifies, email us at casey.deford@teachforamerica.org—we’re happy to talk it through.

Each virtual learning cycle includes 3–5 highly interactive sessions. These are designed to build practical leadership skills aligned to RSLA’s five impact indicators:

• Reach and Representation
• Leadership Growth
• Role Advancement
• Rural Retention
• Long-Term Engagement
  

Sessions focus on areas like school culture, decision-making, communication, and vision development—all rooted in honoring place and rural context.

We will work with all participants to ensure that we are offering sessions that best align with their availability.

As part of the yearlong fellowship, all participants join an in-person visit to a rural community. These multi-day visits provide the opportunity to:

• Learn directly from local educators
• Observe innovative rural schools in action
• Build deeper relationships with your cohort

Participants consistently describe this experience as one of the most transformative parts of the program.

Yes. Participation includes required travel to two in-person school visits.

Teach For America covers all travel-related costs, including:

• Airfare
• Ground transportation
• Lodging
• Meals

You’ll receive travel logistics and booking support six weeks in advance of each in-person gathering.

Yes. Referrals are one of the most powerful ways we find strong candidates. You can nominate yourself or others by following this link.

You’re welcome to nominate multiple people. Referrals are kept confidential unless you tell us otherwise.

Yes. RSLA welcomes teams and pairs from the same school or network, and we’ve seen that shared participation strengthens how learning shows up back on campus.

Strong teams often include:

• A principal and an assistant principal
• Two or more teachers from the same school
• Leaders from the same rural district

While you’re encouraged to apply as a team, admissions are competitive and acceptance is not guaranteed for all applicants.

Yes. RSLA is designed as a cumulative experience—sessions build on each other and on the relationships you form with your cohort. We expect full participation in each learning cycle. If an emergency arises, we work with fellows individually to find solutions.