The Independent School Teaching Fellows Program of Greater Philadelphia (ISTF) is a multi-school collaborative offering a teaching fellowship role for emerging educators, in an initiative that seeks to increase both the presence of and opportunities for underrepresented groups, particularly people of color, in schools.
Emerging educators from underrepresented identities are encouraged to apply. In the past, this teaching fellowship has been a 2-year program. For the 2026-2027 academic year, the program has secured funding to offer this role as a one-year position, with the possibility of a 2nd year.
The ISTF program follows a cohort model and provides Teaching Fellows with in-depth experiences with mentor teachers in lower, middle, and upper school classrooms, as well as the opportunity to work with diverse student populations. Fellows engage in weekly professional development sessions that are centered on best practices and salient topics in teaching and learning.
Teaching Fellows will have the opportunity to work and train in a variety of independent school settings in the greater Philadelphia region. Teaching Fellows are paired with a mentor and placed with one of our school partners each semester. Our current school partners include:
