Who can apply to become a Delta Fellow?
Who can apply to become a Delta Fellow?
The Delta Fellows Program is open to all Gaston County employees who hold a certified position at the high school level. We encourage educators to apply from all areas of expertise. Teachers of core content, electives, arts, EC, media specialists, etc. will all have the opportunity to grow through this program.
Being part of the Delta Fellows program gives you the opportunity to create a personalized growth plan and begin a self-directed, intentional journey to impact student learning in new and creative ways. Fellows will work with district leadership to plan and deliver professional development, acclimate teachers new to GCS, collaborate on lessons and curriculum changes, and serve as teacher leaders throughout our district.
Delta Fellows will be expected to attend workshops throughout their two-year tenure in both leadership and learning capacities. Fellows will participate in a two-day retreat at the beginning of summer 2018 to kick-off their own growth path journey and there will be occasional meet-ups and brainstorming sessions scheduled to allow for collaborative growth. All scheduled Delta Fellows activities will be available on the GCS Delta Fellows Calendar of Events page and will be shared via the GCS Delta Twitter account.
But the most important and valuable piece of the Delta Fellows Program is the personalized growth path you will create for yourself! Participants in the Delta Fellows Program will be given room and time (and funding!) to enhance their practice and have an even greater impact on the students in Gaston County Schools.
Teachers who are interested in applying to become a Delta Fellow need to follow the process laid out on the Application Page. There is a three part application process that will need to be completed by March 30, 2018. The new cohort of Delta Fellows will be notified in early May.
Experience has taught us that the teachers who exhibit the most growth are those who are surrounded by others with the same mindset. When a strong support network is established early, these teachers have less fear of risk-taking and are more reflective in their practice.
Delta Fellows are required to have a supporting colleague throughout the duration of their growth path journey. This collaboration will allow for growth and support for both fellows as well as the opportunity for cooperative learning and leading experiences.
No! The purpose of the supporting colleague is to give you someone to collaborate with throughout the process. You should submit two separate growth path proposals and will each receive a stipend and a grant.
However, if you choose to combine your efforts to work on a project you may collaborate on the growth path proposal and pool your grant resources.
The fellowship experience is a customized personal growth path that you will create to guide you toward being the best educator you can be! Be creative and think BIG PICTURE when you're designing your fellowship experience, as the Delta Fellows Program is designed to to foster growth through innovative opportunities and experiential learning.
The fellowship experience that you design should be aligned to the area in which you wish to grow. Your personalized growth path should be grounded in research and focused on how best to impact student learning.
None. Or two. Or one. Or however many fit into your proposal and budget. While we will be checking in digitally and offering meet ups, the only days out of your classroom will be the ones you set for yourself.
Your budget may include money for substitutes and should be budgeted at $100/day.
All Delta Fellows participants will receive a $1000 stipend at the beginning of each school year for work completed over the course of the summer. This work may include professional development, planning time at the retreat, lesson design workshops, curriculum input, etc.
The Fellowship grant is given to aid you in the completion of your growth path product. Each fellow will be given a grant of $1500 per year to spend toward the research and experiences needed to fulfill their growth plan. The grant will be managed through High School Academic Services and may be used in a variety of ways to best suit your needs.
The $1500 Fellowship grant is given to aid you in the completion of your growth path product. Although the grant will be managed through High School Academic Services, you may use the funding in just about any way you can think of that aligns to your proposed growth plan. Some ideas for the grant may include travel to a state conference or seminar, an experiential trip to a museum or field study, equipment for a project, professional development, etc. As with the proposal, THINK BIG when considering uses for the Fellowship grant.
This is the inaugural group of Delta Fellows and we are eager to see how creatively you can meet the requirements of the application as stated on the Application Page. Please use this opportunity to think outside the box and focus on how you would like to grow as an educator.
All fellowship growth path proposals must be grounded in research based educational strategies. Whatever path you choose to take should be supported by published research results. The proposal portion of your application includes space for evidence of research based practice.
There will be several scheduled support sessions available, both in person and virtually. The high school curriculum team will be available for the following sessions, but please feel free to contact us at hsacademics@gaston.k12.nc.us :
Updates and information will be communicated through the @GCSDelta Twitter account as well as this website. Check back regularly for more information.