The mission of the South Carolina Teaching Fellows Program is to recruit talented high school seniors into the teaching profession and help them develop leadership qualities. Each year, the program provides Fellowships for up to 175 high school seniors who have exhibited high academic achievement, a history of service to their school and community, and a desire to teach in South Carolina. The South Carolina Teaching Fellows Program was named the first recipient of the Dick and Tunky Riley Award for Excellence and Innovation in October 2011.
This session will consist of an overview of the Teaching Fellows Program. The presenters will discuss the rigorous identification process as well as the requirements and outcomes of this prestigious scholarship/forgivable loan program for teacher education students. This session is appropriate for individuals who work with high school seniors who may be interested in applying to be a Teaching Fellow and administrators/personnel directors who may have the opportunity ti hire a Teaching Fellow as a teacher.
South Carolina administrators play a crucial role in this program by helping to promote the application and then hiring Teaching Fellows graduates to serve as educators in their schools. To apply for Teaching Fellows a student must be:
- * a United States citizen
- *a legal resident of South Carolina
- *a high school senior
The identification process for Teaching Fellows is rigorous and consists of three separate pieces.
Application
The Teaching Fellows application is available online September 1 through December 1. Applications must be submitted online by December 1. In order for applications to be considered complete, a high school transcript and three (3) references on official forms must be obtained and sent to CERRA, postmarked by December 16. Incomplete applications will not be scored. Applications, transcripts, and references are then assessed by an initial screening committee.
The Teaching Fellows application is available online September 1 through December 1. Applications must be submitted online by December 1. In order for applications to be considered complete, a high school transcript and three (3) references on official forms must be obtained and sent to CERRA, postmarked by December 16. Incomplete applications will not be scored. Applications, transcripts, and references are then assessed by an initial screening committee.
Interview
Qualifying applicants are invited to a regional interview, and all applicants are notified as to whether they have been selected for this second phase of the process.The purpose of the interview is to assess the following: communication skills, commitment to teaching, problem solving ability, originality and knowledge of world and educational processes.
Qualifying applicants are invited to a regional interview, and all applicants are notified as to whether they have been selected for this second phase of the process.The purpose of the interview is to assess the following: communication skills, commitment to teaching, problem solving ability, originality and knowledge of world and educational processes.
Writing
Applicants will be scheduled to complete a thirty (30) minute writing prompt during the interview. Scores from the interview and writing prompt will be combined with the initial application score to make up a final total composite score. A maximum of 175 of the top scorers will be offered Teaching Fellowships. Other qualifying applicants will be placed on an alternate list.
Applicants will be scheduled to complete a thirty (30) minute writing prompt during the interview. Scores from the interview and writing prompt will be combined with the initial application score to make up a final total composite score. A maximum of 175 of the top scorers will be offered Teaching Fellowships. Other qualifying applicants will be placed on an alternate list.
To view a comprehensive report about the program, please visit ww.cerra.org/export/sites/default/research/TFREPORT.pdf. For information about the program, please visit http://www.cerra.org/teachingFellows.
Please feel free to email Teaching Fellows Program Director, Jenna Hallman, if you have any questions. hallmanj@cerra.org
