Applicant Information

Who are the Dow Sustainability Teacher Fellows?

K-12 teachers from Arenac, Bay, Gratiot, Isabella, Midland, Saginaw, and surrounding counties will be selected as fellows each year. Interdisciplinary teaching teams of 2-3 are strongly encouraged to apply to carry out their proposed work together. New and returning fellows are encouraged to participate. To read more about eligibility, click here. 

What are the expectations of the Dow Sustainability Teacher Fellowship?

• Participate in professional development sessions. This includes up to 18 hours of virtual asynchronous professional development over 3 weeks, up to 12 hours of in-person workshops and events, and accompanying evaluation activities. 

For the 2024-2025 Cohort, the dates for these sessions are:

• • • • June 12th will be an in-person onboarding session for incoming Fellows and the Sharing Celebration for our 2023-2024 Community of Practice cohort, which incoming Fellows should also plan on attending. 

      • June 20th - July 8th is when our 3-week asynchronous virtual learning module will be in session. This course will have an expected time commitment of 5-6 hours per week.*

      • August 6th & 7th will be dedicated to in-person workshops and networking events.

      • During the 2024-2025 school year, participate in design consultation sessions with University of Michigan project staff to provide progress updates and request support as needed.

      • In mid-June 2025, the Sharing Celebration will take place to showcase results. 

• Develop, implement, and share a project and place-based instructional unit around a local sustainability issue during the 2024-2025 school year. This unit can vary in length but should engage students for at least one week's lessons, connect them with a local partner, engage them in spaces outside the classroom, and result in a publicly shared presentation of an action project to help address the sustainability issue.

• Document the implementation of the unit, collect artifacts (video, photos, student work) with appropriate student consent and releases, and share with other teachers and project participants. 

*Note that the experience for Returning Fellows will vary slightly to ensure their PBSE professional learning is extended beyond previous participation. If you would like more details, please visit our eligibility webpage. 

What will Dow Sustainability Teacher Fellows receive?

• Professional development and design support from a curriculum developer to aid in the development of instructional materials

• A stipend of $2,000. This stipend is paid in 2 installments during your Fellowship year, and is linked to Fellow completion of the professional development sessions and final reporting requirements.

• Up to $1,000 reimbursement for project-related expenses (transportation, classroom materials, etc.)

• SCECHs for participation in professional development

• Connection to potential local partners

• Opportunities to showcase your students and school, and connect to your community

• Opportunities to network with teacher colleagues in the region and community and university experts in sustainability issues

• Access to curated online resources for sustainability education

Support for Dow Sustainability Teacher Fellows will continue after their initial year. Ongoing benefits will include:

• Opportunity to join the newest cohort of fellows to continue to deepen and expand your efforts

• Access to professional development opportunities 

• Subscription to DSTF Newsletter: Teaching Towards Sustainability, which highlights grant opportunities and teaching resources monthly

• Mentorship and networking opportunities with other Fellows

• Eligibility for additional funding to continue place-based sustainability work in your classrooms

• Opportunities to pilot new programs and resources