Ignited provides Fellowships to K-16 teachers representing every subject. The vast majority of the teachers Ignited serves are high school and middle school Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) teachers, although Career Technical Education, community college instructors, and elementary school teachers also participate in smaller numbers. At least 30-35% of the teachers served will teach educationally disadvantaged students in underperforming schools.
Teachers who apply to Ignited typically have at least a Bachelor’s degree in the subject they teach; many have advanced degrees. Most are technically savvy and at a minimum are comfortable with MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Besides expertise in at least one subject and a basic, comprehensive, working knowledge of related subjects, teachers possess many transferable skills and qualities that have value in the corporate or university workplace.
Transferable Skills (and just one of the many ways they can benefit an organization):
- Taking a complex or large concept/process and break it into components - beneficial in creating training documentation
- Identifying the essential concepts and problem solving - valuable for business analysts
- Communicating well in oral and written form - excellent for technical writing projects and compelling presentations
- Organizing and planning - useful for project management positions
- Framing questions and information gathering - crucial for projects involving research
- Collaborating with others to achieve a common goal - essential for human resources or community relations projects
Qualities Valued in the Workplace:
- Initiative/Self-Starting
- Leadership
- Flexibility
- Creativity
- Willingness to Learn
- Attention to Detail
See how teachers have put their skills to use in past Fellowship Projects.
Check out examples of how Fellows have brought their summer projects back to the classroom!