Cambiar Catalyst Fellowship Grant

The Cambiar Catalyst Fellowship is a transformative year-long program designed for experienced educators and systems leaders. It offers intensive professional development through coaching, in-person and virtual learning experiences, and community building. Participants tackle real-world challenges in their districts using the CREATE framework, enhancing their leadership skills and impact. The fellowship aims to reimagine K-12 public education by supporting leaders in creating sustainable solutions for improved student outcomes.

NOTE: There is a multi-stage selection process. Individuals who wish to be considered for admission should begin by submitting an application online.
A Critical Need
To transform K-12 public education systems across the country, systems leaders need to be prepared, developed, and supported to lead, innovate, and create lasting impact.
Many systems leaders find that little development, training, and support is available once they reach the highest levels of leadership.
A Place for Leaders
The Catalyst Fellowship is a year-long learning experience for current and aspiring systems leaders. Our differentiated approach for every fellow allows for timely and relevant learning for immediate application and practice.
A Proven Process
Systemic Impact - A core part of the Fellowship experience is applied learning. Fellows identify a project or challenge in their district, and are equipped with the skills and resources to tackle it using Cambiar’s CREATE framework - a process that engages communities in the co-creation of sustainable solutions to systemic challenges.
In addition to applying their learning during the Fellowship, fellows leave with this skill set that can then be applied to other challenges and problems to magnify the impact on their system.Learning Experiences -Fellows participate in multiple in-person and virtual and in-person learning experiences focused on leading systems across the country. During the learning experiences, fellows are exposed to key content that equips them with the skills to change the conditions in their system to improve outcomes for all students.Community -Given the high stakes and complexity of public education, school system leadership can be a lonely place, leading to high burnout and turnover rates. The Fellowship’s cohort-based learning model focuses deeply on building the community and support network of individuals necessary for a healthy, sustainable career in systems leadership.
About Catalyst Fellows
Catalyst accepts experienced educators with a strong belief that all students can succeed, and a deep belief that systems must be reimagined to create the transformational change needed for students nationally.
Ideally, the applicant will be in a systems-level role of significant responsibility.
Funding
The Fellowship consists of over 150 hours of live learning, a year of professional coaching with a highly-qualified and experienced coach, and in-person and virtual learning experiences.
We ask districts to contribute $15,000 towards the full cost of the Fellowship.

Eligibility

We are looking for experienced educators with a strong belief that every student can succeed, and a deep belief that systems must be reimagined to create the transformational change needed for students nationally.Successful candidates must demonstrate the following:Track record of demonstrated, measurable positive impact on studentsClearly articulated vision and motivation for school systems leadershipProven ability to lead and manage adultsIdeally, the applicant will be in a systems-level role of significant responsibility.There is no minimum years of experience required. The average years of work experience for fellows is 14 years.Fellows work in systems of diverse size, geography, and sector, including traditional K12 districts, state education agencies, charter school networks, and education organizations nationally.