Call for Application: Why You Should Join The Teach For Nigeria Fellowship Program
Posted by Ahmed Iyanda | 9 months ago | 1,760 times
Teach For Nigeria (TFN), a non-profit organisation focused on enlisting Nigeria’s most promising future leaders in the effort to expand educational and life opportunities for all children in the country has launched applications for its eighth cohort fellowship.
The fellowship is an opportunity for Nigeria’s most outstanding university graduates, young professionals and entrepreneurs from diverse academic backgrounds to serve as full-time teachers (Fellows) in under-resourced schools in low-income communities of the country.
The 2024 fellowship, themed ‘Teach today, shape tomorrow : Your leadership Matters now’, is targeted at young leaders committed to tackling Nigeria’s foundational learning challenge in underserved schools.
Why Teach For Nigeria Exist
TFN exists to bridge the gap of educational inequity in Nigeria and provide every child equitable access to opportunities that will help them attain their full potential.
The organization achieves this through a collective leadership approach because TFN believes it will take the collective efforts of various stakeholders at all levels, working simultaneously to bring every Nigerian child equitable access to quality and excellent education.
The Education Crisis
The broken education and poor social system make it difficult for children in Nigeria to receive an excellent education.
In Nigeria, where half the population is under 19, 56% of school students lack basic numeracy and literacy skills.
Also, Most students don’t have the social-emotional skills needed to navigate life and access job opportunities.
The CEO’s Speech
In her opening remarks at the recruitment launch recently, Folawe Omikunle, the CEO of Teach For Nigeria, said the organization is committed to building a nationwide movement of leaders to provide an excellent, equitable education to all Nigerian children.
She noted that the Teach For Nigeria fellowship is aimed at driving long-term systemic change, adding that fellows are placed in underserved schools to transform the lives of their students.
“Teach For Nigeria train, equip and support fellows through a combination of pre-services training and ongoing support,” the CEO said.
Folawe, however, enjoined young graduates who are passionate about driving change to end educational inequity in the country to apply for the 2024 fellowship program.
What Fellows/Alumni Are Saying
Speaking with a 2022 fellow, Judith Onyebueke, she said one of the best career decisions she has ever made was transitioning into an educational career.
In her words, “I joined the fellowship through a friend's recommendation and I must say, it's been one of the best career decisions I have made as an aspiring educator.” From the series of training given by the training department, to the resources at our disposal and the mentoring towards the end of our fellowship, it's been an amazing journey and I look forward to the impacts I will be making after my fellowship.”
Shittu Bashiru, a 2021 Alumnus(Existing Teacher), said “Join the Teach for Nigeria fellowship because of adequate training and retraining of teachers on the latest techniques in teaching and learning. It also gives you opportunities to meet and make new friends of like minds towards improving the quality of Education in Nigeria.
For Joy Ifeanyi, one of the alumni, “If you are like me that desire a platform to make an impact in the lives of young children then you should join Teach for Nigeria. My experience in this transformative leadership journey has been very fulfilling. Leaving a well paying job as a private school educator in an elitist school in the heart of Lagos state, I was determined to improve the quality of education in the lives of countless children who only need the weapon of education to break away from the cycle of poverty.”
“As a fellow, I diligently carried out my assignment ensuring that my classroom was student centered. I employed diverse teaching strategies to improve teaching and learning leading to an observable improvement in my students' literacy. Apart from the academics I invested ample time in the socio-emotional learning of my students, I helped them work on their soft skills which have set them apart from their peers.
“These have caused a ripple effect in my personal growth. Today, I am not just known as the queen of impact, I am also the 2023 QS Impact Eco champion award winner, 2023 First runner up Excellent Teachers Award, First runner-up Sabi Teacher, Finalist HH MSII SDG challenge. These accolades were only made possible because I chose to dedicate two years of my time to serve as a Teach for Nigeria fellow,” Joy added.
To this effect, the organization is inviting qualified candidates to apply for its two-year full time paid Fellowship program.
Who Should Apply
The fellowship is open to individuals who desire to join the movement towards a better nation. The Teach For Nigeria Fellowship program offers the opportunity for young leaders to use their voices and skills to impact change in low-income communities and schools where there’s a widened education inequity gap. Candidate must have:
- Strong leadership skills with demonstrable passion and commitment towards Nigeria’s development.
- Capacity to be critical thinkers and problem solvers.
- A good understanding of the Teach For Nigeria vision and is willing to commit two years in service to the Fellowship program.
- A sense of social responsibility and holds him/herself to a high standard.
- Outstanding academic achievement and capacity to adapt to challenging environments.
What Are The Requirements?
To be considered a Teach For Nigeria Fellow, you must have the following requirements:
Eligibility for Young Graduates
This pathway is meant for highly motivated young graduates and mid-level professionals from diverse academic backgrounds. The eligibility criteria are as follows:
- A Nigerian between the ages of 18 and 35 at the time of application.
- A university graduate with a minimum of 2:2.
- Must have at least 5 O’Level credits in Mathematics and English.
- Completed NYSC on or before July 2024
Eligibility for Existing Teacher Pathway
This pathway is for experienced teachers already employed as public school teachers, either under SUBEB or TESCOM in Ogun State.
Teach For Nigeria believes that “One day, every Nigerian child will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education.”
Click HERE to apply
