What is the IGNITE Fellowship?

The Ignite Fellowship consists of two 10 week cohorts spanning both Fall and Spring terms. We recruit college students and alumni to serve as small group learning fellows, who partner directly with schools and students. Fellows receive ongoing training from TFA, partner organizations and their school to accelerate student learning and build trusting relationships. Students meet in virtual learning communities, during school hours with their fellows and classmates. These personalized learning experiences promote both academics and well being.

Where is IGNITE being launched?

Teach For America alum at Aspire Capitol Heights Academy have stepped up to help lead the way as our first IGNITE school partner. With the help of two TFA alum, Kayla Green (lead 3rd grade teacher) and Madison Hiebert (assistant principal), we’ve been able to recruit 29 fellows to serve 45 students. Each student received on average 4 hours of personalized learning a week. We are thrilled to share that we are completing our Fall cohort, which began on October 11 and ends on December 17, 2021. The Spring cohort will begin on February 14, 2022.

Who are the IGNITE Fellows?

The 29 fellows are college students selected from around the country who are excited to reignite student’s love for education through personalized learning. Many of the selected fellows identify as coming from low-income communities, identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and are first in their families to attend college

Who are the students?

The 45 students selected to participate in this fellowship are all students of Aspire Capitol Heights Academy. Teachers determined these students would best benefit from personalized learning based on their current performance in English and Math. On average, students chosen were performing the lowest in their classroom in the content area (English/Math) they were assigned.

How are we measuring success

We are measuring the academic and personal growth of our students through school-based
assessments and student surveys. For fellows, we are gauging their interest to pursue a meaningful career in education.