The following post is made at the request of CERRA-SC concerning the South Carolina Teaching Fellows Program.
The South Carolina Teaching Fellows Program is entering its 20th year of offering the state’s brightest and best students up to $24,000 over four years to become South Carolina educators. The South Carolina General Assembly began funding the program in 1999 to recruit talented high school seniors into the teaching profession. Our data show that as of March 2018, 1,794 graduates of this Program are currently employed in 73 South Carolina public school districts. Some of these fellows are now band directors in South Carolina. Band directors of high school seniors that are considering becoming teachers, please share this opportunity with them!
Below you will find some specific information about the South Carolina Teaching Fellows Program.
• The Teaching Fellows Program is administered by CERRA-SC.
• The Program provides fellowships for up to 200 students each year.
• Teaching Fellows participate in enrichment programs at a Teaching Fellows Institution, engage in professional development and leadership opportunities, and partner with communities and businesses.
• Teaching Fellows receive up to a $6,000 fellowship annually for four years as long as they are in the process of completing a degree leading to teacher certification and meet the criteria to continue in the program.
• A Fellow must agree to teach (any subject) in a South Carolina public school one year for each year he/she receives fellowship funds.
• Any student who is a legal resident of South Carolina and a current high school senior, or junior graduating early, who will be attending college as a freshman in the fall of 2019 may apply.
• Fellowships are based on academic achievement, references, community and school involvement (including participation in band etc.), an interview and a writing assessment.
• Teaching Fellows must attend one of the ten Teaching Fellows Institutions. Currently, these include Anderson University, Charleston Southern University, Coastal Carolina University, College of Charleston, Francis Marion University, Lander University, USC Aiken, USC Columbia, USC Upstate, and Winthrop University.
• The Teaching fellows award can be combined with other scholarships.
The online application will open on September 1st and the deadline for submission is December 1st with notification to Fellowship recipients in early spring 2019. Beginning on September 1st, you may access a short video about the Teaching Fellows Program and application process at teachingfellowsc.com. This video may assist your musicians in the completion of the application. We may also be able to send a CERRA staff member to meet with your musicians about this process.
For further inquiry into the SC Teaching Fellows Program, please contact their director – Jenna Hallman.