UW INSPIRE
EduDesign Fellowship
Teacher-Led Professional Learning
Applications will be open again in Spring 2023! Join our mailing list for updates.
BIPOC EDUCATORSINFO | CLOSED Centering BIPOC Wellbeing in Education |
P-12 INCLUSIONINFO | CLOSED Valuing & Supporting Inclusion: Systems & Practices that Work |
ELEMENTARYINFO | CLOSED Focusing on Social & Emotional Wellbeing of Students & Educators |
SECONDARYINFO | CLOSED Putting Students & Community at the Center: Culturally Sustaining & Other Asset-Based Pedagogies |
K-8 DUAL LANGUAGEINFO | CLOSED Growing Biliteracy & Critical Consciousness |
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Teachers have a unique perspective about what they need to improve their practice. EduDesign is an experimental space that supports teachers to engage in a collective process of inquiry– to grapple with self-identified questions and problems of practice. The fellowship is a year-round experience that kicks off with a summer institute and includes multiple convenings throughout the year. Each cohort provides space for fellows to build community, make sense of big ideas together, support one another as professionals, and grow their justice work– in their practice and in schools.
EduDesign is not your typical professional development– it is a collective approach to learning. Each of the five cohorts are led by a team of teacher-leaders positioned not as experts but as co-learners alongside fellow participants. Each cohort will explore ideas together with support from College of Education staff and faculty. Admitted fellows participate and receive clock hours at no cost.
“This is what I’ve been waiting for.”
– Christy Harris, Teacher at Broadview-Thompson Elementary
“We have to own the scary uncomfortable experimentation process in order to figure out what does work best for us…what is the best practice…and you only really learn it by actually working with other teachers.”
– Jordan Griffith, Teacher at Cedarhurst Elementary
The Problem
Teaching practice must be dynamic in an ever-changing field with evolving student needs. Unfortunately most teachers lack vital opportunities for hands-on professional learning and collaboration with peers. In fact, only 4% will even see their colleagues teach. This professional isolation is detrimental to serving students well and contributes to teacher attrition, with high costs for students and the state.
Our Solution
The UW College of Education EduDesign Fellowship disrupts teacher isolation by supporting professional learning communities created by teachers, for teachers. Fellowship cohorts convene teachers across schools to explore pedagogical questions and instructional practices together. This initiative is grounded in:
- teaching for social justice and equity,
- identifying and trying out actionable and practical methods,
- learning from teachers’ experiences and expertise, as well as current research.
The fellows are supported by UW faculty and community-based organziations to support engaged and meaningful learning and the ability to bring that learning back to fellow colleagues at each participant’s school.
EduDesign has had excellent results. At the end of the first school year following our intial summer pilot, 95% of participants reported increased confidence to try new teaching strategies, and 63% reported increased leadership skills. Since then we have continue to build upon the design of the project to better support teachers each year. We invite your help to grow this effort to support Washington’s teachers and students as a community partner, local educator, or donor!
Check out previous Elementary EduDesign Fellowships!
In their own voices: Teachers talk about their EduDesign experiences
2018 Elementary Fellows 2017 Elementary Cohort
2016 Elementary EduDesign focused on Next Generation Science Standards, integrating science across the curriculum, and accessing community resources for science instruction.
2015 Elementary EduDesign focused on building a teacher’s technology toolbox.
For more information contact Deborah Massachi (massachi@uw.edu).