2025-2026 Zankel Projects

Sponsor: Dr. Aparna Anand

Department: Education Policy & Social Analysis 

Fellowship Site: P.S. 075, Emily Dickinson

Number of Fellows: 1

Project Description: The Zankel fellow will play a crucial role in supporting the instructional needs of English Language Learners (ELL) children through an intervention project called "What I need" (WIN) at P.S.75 Emily Dickinson, a District 3 elementary public school in New York City. With a total enrollment of 464 students in grades K-5, the school faces the challenge of effectively addressing the needs of its diverse student population, mainly due to the increasing number of immigrant children. To address the diverse needs of its student population, the school introduced the WIN program, a whole-school intervention plan aimed at supporting students academically in areas where they require the most assistance. This program involves grouping students below grade level in phonics, reading, and writing into small groups. These groups receive targeted reading intervention using Orton-Gillingham programs (SPIRE and Sound Sensible), with progress monitored bi-monthly to ensure effective support. The Zankel fellow will support the WIN program by offering instructional assistance during WIN periods. With the ongoing challenges ELL students face, particularly those at the entering level who require additional instruction, the fellow's role becomes instrumental in bridging the gap between student needs and available resources. The fellow will collaborate with teachers to deliver targeted instruction, ensuring that ELL students receive the necessary support to thrive academically.

Skills Sought:  The Zankel Fellow should express a passion for working with elementary school children from marginalized communities and work collaboratively with the teachers. The Fellow should be able to promote an inclusive and welcoming learning environment and be able to work with minimal supervision. Fluent in written and spoken Spanish. Skills in phonics and sounds would be an asset.

Sponsor: Dr. Limarys Caraballo

Department: Arts & Humanities; Curriculum & Teaching

Fellowship Sites: CUNY Queens College,  College Now and all of its partner high schools.

Number of Fellows: 3

Project Description: The "Students and Teachers as Critical Researchers" project engages high school youth in critical social research methods via an afterschool program, Cyphers for Justice (CFJ). The fall cohort is part of the CUNY College Now program, while the spring cohort is at TC. In this program, diverse groups of students from public schools throughout NYC will improve their critical literacy skills while learning critical social theory and qualitative research methods as they design and implement their projects. 

The Zankel Fellow will also learn about youth participatory action research methods, co-plan and co-implement lessons and activities in the afterschool seminar, help students with their projects, comment on students' work, collect data, transcribe interviews and class audio recordings, take field notes, and analyze data. While collaborating on various research projects, the high school students and Fellows, along with the faculty supervisor (Dr. Limarys Caraballo) and program coordinator (Vivett Dukes, former Zankel Fellow), will examine how youth can deepen their engagement in critical action research. 

Fellows will gain educational experience in urban learning settings in more traditional classrooms during the fall seminar and in an afterschool context at IUME. They will also learn about and practice conducting research for social action. Interested students will have ample opportunities to engage in further research and publication beyond their Fellowship term.

Skills Sought: Because the Fellow would be working with youth as well as other adult allies, it is essential that they be interested in and engaged with youth. Have prior experience working with adolescents, be interested in literacy and inquiry, and be familiar with popular youth culture and some aspects of the arts and multimodality (such as interest in poetry, archiving, podcasting, film, etc.). Some teaching experience would be preferred.

Sponsor: Dr. Sarah Chepkirui Creider

Department: Arts & Humanities: Applied Linguistics & TESOL

Fellowship Site: Central Park East II (04M964) 

Number of Fellows: 1

Project Description: Newly arrived language learners, particularly those with limited formal schooling (SLIFE), are among our most vulnerable students. While there are high-schools devoted to working with newcomers, there are few institutional resources for upper-elementary newcomers and SLIFE students. These students, in grades 3 to 6, need one-on-one support in order to learn basic academic skills, particularly early literacy and basic mathematics. At the same time, they need teachers who are able to support their intellectual abilities: not being able to read does not mean that one doesn't have the thinking skills of any other 9 or 10 year old. For classroom teachers, it can be very difficult to provide the support such students need. The goals of this project are three-fold: (1) Most importantly, we hope to offer support to individual students who could otherwise be left behind; (2) The fellow will gain concrete and powerful teaching skills related to: lowering student anxiety, teaching methods designed to optimize one-on-one settings, teacher observation & reflection, and early reading and math for older students; (3) While the bulk of the fellow's time will be spent with students, I also hope, at the end of the project, to have created a basic curriculum and materials that could be used again in this kind of setting, so that the project could expand in future years.

Skills Sought: Experience working with immigrants and/or teaching early reading or math would be helpful, but is not required. Similarly, speaking multiple languages would be helpful, but is not required. An interest in working with language learners, and in innovative teaching methods are the most important qualifications.

Sponsor: Dr. Jonathan Collins

Department: EPSA, Politics

Fellowship Site: Teachers College Community School (05M517)

Number of Fellows: 1

Project Description: There are two intersecting projects on which the fellow can work. One project focuses on testing a new democratic model of student representation. This year the S-BYE Lab has been building a national dataset for analyzing the prevalence, powers, and policy implications of student representation on school boards. This proposed project builds on what we've learned from our national study to develop a model for how student leaders can democratically engage with peers, ensuring student representation is connected to the student constituency. The fellow would be involved with implementing the model in schools, disseminating research instruments, and organizing and analyzing data.

The second project, Community Decides, is a replication of Spencer-Foundation-funded pilot project that tests the effects of my new model of participatory budgeting called participatory redistribution. The study is a field experimental design where we test the effect of allocating funds through a democratic process rooted in mass student participation and small group deliberations compared to giving funds where the decision is controlled by the principal. Here, the fellow would also be involved with implementing the treatment intervention in schools, disseminating research instruments, and organizing and analyzing data.

Skills Sought: Experience working with K-12 students and bringing an asset-based lens to the front-facing work. Fellow should be interested in mixed-methods field research. Quantitative skills would be helpful, but it's not a requirement.

Sponsor: Dr. Cristina Compton

Department: Arts & Humanities, CPET (Center for the Professional Education of Teachers)

Fellowship Site: Our projects take place primarily in K-12, NYC public schools throughout the City. Our partnership sites for next year include Morris Academy for Collaborative Studies, Westchester Square Academy, Bronx High School of Business, Fordham Leadership Academy, Global Learning Collaborative, Brownsville Academy High School, and East River Academy. 

Number of Fellows: 5

Project Description: The CPET at Teachers College, Columbia University, offers equal and high-quality education to all. Our Zankel Fellowship Projects provide in-person engagement with students, including the Student Press Initiative (SPI). We're exploring ways to create an online coaching experience that provides a stronger connection between Zankel Fellows and students. Zankel Fellows collaborate with experienced coaches and teaching artists to gain effective teaching practices. The Zankel opportunity directly impacts K-12 education through project-based learning. It's valuable for teachers' college graduates and allows them to apply their coursework in real-world classrooms and contribute to CPET resources.

Skills Sought: We seek candidates with strong organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills who desire to work directly with youth and their teachers. Ideally, Zankel fellows have a minimum of at least two years of K12 teaching experience. Background knowledge in teaching reading, writing, and/or performance is valued. Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google Suite, and multimedia platforms is essential, although CPET can offer support to reach these proficiencies.

Sponsor: Dr. Regina Cortina

Department: International & Transcultural Studies; International and Comparative Education

Fellowship Site: ELLIS Prep

Number of Fellows: 2

Project Description: The Fellows provide teacher and student support two days a week during class and sometimes at lunch or after school, for a total of about six hours of work with students and teachers, and about four hours of prep and meetings. In class, they help students make sense of the assignments and engage students to think creatively about history, math, and scientific concepts in applicable and exploratory ways. Often, they prepare homework help and test study sessions during the lunch period to provide extra support to students, focusing on literacy supports that will help them on their portfolio projects and, in turn, to develop skills necessary for post- secondary studies. We encourage Fellows to attend as many faculty meetings and other school events that might help them integrate into the school community.

Skills Sought:  Written and spoken fluency in a language other than English preferred, (preferably Spanish, French, or Arabic). Prior experience teaching, tutoring and facilitating educational programs and/or working in public schools, especially with adolescents or young adults Knowledge and/or experience in bi/multilingual education and of culturally relevant curricula/pedagogy; intercultural communication skills and empathy. Ability to build and maintain relationships with a variety of stakeholders. Highly collaborative and proactive; strong outreach and interpersonal skills. Commitment to social justice.

Sponsor: Dr. Ansley Erickson

Department: Education Policy & Social Analysis

Fellowship Site: Wadleigh Secondary School for the Performing and Visual Arts

Number of Fellows: 2

Project Description: Youth Historians in Harlem is one aspect of the Harlem Education History Project, a project of the Center on History and Education and the Institute for Urban and Minority Education. Youth Historians has been working since 2012 in a variety of capacities at multiple school sites in Harlem: Frederick Douglass Academy 2, Wadleigh Secondary School, Central Park East High School, and Columbia Secondary School. These schools serve students from the immediate Harlem community and other parts of New York City. The project engages high-school-age youth in learning about the history of their local community. Over the life of the program, we have worked in small groups, after-school settings, summer institutes, and school-day co-teaching partnerships. Since 2019-20, the project has created semester-long courses to meet the existing NYS requirement for civics/”Participation in Government” through an intensive focus on the history of education and Black and Latinx educational activism in Harlem. Zankel Fellows also partners with teachers in US history and global literature courses. Beginning in 2023, they also draw on the primary-source-based curriculum resources created by the Center on History and Education’s New York City Civil Rights History Project. Zankel Fellows on the project have come from programs in History and Education (A&H), Social Studies Education (A&H), Politics and Education (EPSA), Sociology and Education (EPSA), Anthropology and Education (ICT), Counseling Psychology (CCP), and Curriculum and Teaching (C&T). For Fellows who are future historians, the program offers a unique perspective on historical research in more public and participatory forms. For Fellows who are future teachers or teacher educators, the program provides experience engaging students in local historical research and considering the implications of local history and community history for future work as a teacher.

Skills Sought: Fellows must have skills in classroom leadership, individual and small-group work with students, and the ability to work collaboratively with teaching partners to design a history-focused curriculum. The program depends upon fellows either already possessing or being willing to gain knowledge of the history of Harlem and its educational history.

Sponsor: Dr. Jeanne Goffi-Fynn

Department: Arts & Humanities

Fellowship Site: At TC, but working with M485 (LaGuardia), M362 (Columbia Secondary), M245 (Computer School), MS54 (Booker T), Hudson HSLT, and Hunter College HS. Students come to TC's campus and join off-site performances as well as on campus rehearsals.

Number of Fellows: 1

Project Description: In the Singers' Workshops: Finding Our Voices, the Fellow's responsibilities involve planning the curriculum, helping to organize participants, and co-leading biweekly sessions for both ensembles and additional individual or small group sessions. In the fall, these sessions are focused on helping those applying to the performing arts high schools (The Process of Performance), but all are invited who wish to develop confidence in this area. In the spring, we lead sections of Music Theater to engage the learner in the arts, including poetry, storytelling, rap, and other singing styles. Additional groups we currently lead include "Jazz and Gospel Singing" and "TBB'ers – For those singing in the Tenor-Baritone-Bass range and open to all who identify with the lower ranges." Additionally, we encourage conversations on challenging topics and ways the arts can support these topics. Two examples from our recent past include "Hamilton," which involves a diverse cast and history, and "Dear Evan Hansen," which addresses mental health issues in young people. We connect a diverse approach to musical selections and involve our students in the creative process. We strive for modeling from a wide range of professionals in the field for performance classes and special events. We also take a more advanced group to Carnegie Hall to join the Cecelia Chorus twice yearly, often in new works. 2022-23, we performed "Neither Separated, Nor Undone" by Derrick Skye and "The Brown King" by Margaret Bonds. In Fall 2023, we joined in "Dona Nobis" by Ralph Vaughn Williams, and in Spring 2024, we joined in a piece by jazz composer Cyrus Chestnut in "Power in the Blood."

Our programs assist all singers in preparation for a musical journey, including vocal development and musicianship, while developing confidence within an inclusive and supportive environment. We also have community events to share our voices; for example, in April 2024, with Concerts in Motion, we met with senior adults and shared our songs. Above all, we work collaboratively to encourage expression in music and the spoken word in our young people. We address identity and choice in our music.

Our current work involves multiple schools that send students to this program. A Zankel Fellow will provide leadership and opportunity for an interdisciplinary approach to the arts and growth and confidence for our youth in NYC.

Skills Sought: The fellow will have the ability to facilitate learning in a positive environment, with musical skills across different genres or styles.

Sponsor: Dr. David Hansen

Department: Arts & Humanities | Philosophy and Education

Fellowship Site: City-As-School High School (M560)

Number of Fellows: 1

Project Description: The Fellow will collaborate with students participating in internships as a regular component of the school's curriculum. He/she/they will primarily focus on supporting students' literacy and communicative skills, particularly their ability to engage in productive dialogue with adults and peers. Drawing from approaches developed in our Philosophy and Education program, the fellow will emphasize the arts of interpretive reading, active listening, effective explanation, probing questioning, and the associated skills of patience and persistence.

This pedagogical approach will be implemented onsite at the school, with a schedule coordinated in conjunction with cooperating teachers. Additionally, the fellow will regularly accompany students to their internship sites, serving as a supportive observer as students undertake their internship responsibilities. Following each accompaniment, the fellow will engage in debriefing sessions with individual students to discuss their experiences and reflect on communication dynamics and expressiveness.

Furthermore, the fellow will collaborate with students to craft concise reflection pieces on their internship experiences, aiming to enhance their overall literacy skills.

Skills Sought:  The Fellow must have outstanding communicative skills, a strong background in conceptions and practices of literacy, and will have both studied and enacted approaches to dialogical learning in educational settings. The latter will require a demonstrated philosophical background on the fundamental meanings of dialogue and communication.

Sponsor: Dr. Maria Hartman

Department: Health Studies & Applied Educational Psychology; Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Fellowship Site: NYCDOE Schools - PS 133 (Bronx), Chelsea Prep (NYC)

Number of Fellows: 2

Project Description: The Zankel Fellows assigned to this project will work within the classroom as a tutor/mentor to individual students, who are in need of support in language/literacy skills. In addition to supporting the classroom teacher during the school day and working closely with students individually, the Fellow will collaborate with the children’s teachers, speech language therapists and audiologists in order to discuss and incorporate teaching strategies that support deaf children using either Spoken English or American Sign Language. Intervention will be centered on the use of specific children’s literature to support enthusiasm for reading and exposure to texts that are representative of the children’s cultural background. Texts with characters with hearing loss will also be highlighted to encourage positive self-identity and self- advocacy.

Skills Sought: Knowledge of American Sign Language, knowledge of deafness, knowledge of teaching literacy to special needs children.

Sponsor: Dr. Thomas Hatch

Department: Curriculum & Teaching, NCREST

Fellowship Site: PS 96,  Joseph Lanzetta

Number of Fellows: 1

Project Description: The Zankel Fellow will be an integral instructional support for English Language Learners in grades 3-8 at PS 96 in East Harlem, New York City. The school of 400+ students has seen a dramatic increase in recently immigrated and bilingual students. The Zankel Fellow will work as part of the Beam Center's team in a STEM- and Project- based English language literacy intervention called "Connected Worlds." The Connected Worlds program provides authentic STEM opportunities for Spanish-speaking Newcomer English language learners, irrespective of English language proficiency, to engage in meaningful projects and experiences that develop STEM knowledge and focus on language development. The Connected Worlds curriculum emphasizes collaborative work and community building. The thematic focus on collaborative, creative world building encourages students to express their cultural experiences and identities to foster a sense of community and belonging. Connected Worlds uses hands-on, imaginative projects exploring Astronomy, Biology, Anthropology, Architecture, Technology & Engineering and Artificial Intelligence to support students in reading, writing, communication and research skills. The Connected Worlds projects employ 2D/3D Design, craft, circuitry, architectural modeling, and coding. Working with Beam Center staff, the Zankel Fellow will implement the Connected Worlds program both during the school day with classroom teachers and in Beam Center's after school program. The Zankel Fellow's primary responsibility will be to work with individual students and small groups to reinforce program vocabulary, comprehension, phonics, reading, and writing.

Skills Sought: We are looking for Fellows that have passion and experience teaching or working with youth, especially Spanish Speaking English Language Learners. They are highly collaborative, able to ask questions, offer insight, professional opinions, and celebrate teamwork. It is a bonus if they also engage in a creative practice or have an interest in and/or technical expertise in one or more of the following: Electronics, Physical Computing, Engineering, Fabrication (digital and analog).

Sponsor: Ms. Amy Hawley Alvarez

Fellowship Site: Teachers College Community School, PS 517

Number of Fellows: 6

Project Description: Each year, TC provides enriched learning experiences for TCCS students in every grade through the Zankel Fellowship program. Fellows at TCCS will provide school-day support as either the main teacher in the classroom (music and Spanish), pull-out one-on-one interventions (literacy with 1^st-5^th graders); or as push-in supports to collaborate and teach with a DOE teacher or to work with students during class time. All fellows work a minimum of 5-8 hours directly teaching TCCS students and 2-5 hours in planning and curriculum development.

Skills Sought: 1) At least two students who have experience working one-on-one with elementary students in literacy. 2) At least one student who has experience teaching Spanish TC. 3) At least two students who have experience in teaching math to work as push-in support for middle school math classes. 4) At least one student who has experience in teaching robotics. Note that the needs listed above are subject to change depending on how the needs of TCCS change by the end of the school year, but in general, the above reflects the skills we are looking for in fellows.

Sponsor: Dr. Laudan Jahromi 

Department: Health Studies & Applied Educational Psychology; Program in Intellectual Disability/Autism

Fellowship Site: Association to Benefit Children (ABC) Graham School at Echo Park

Number of Fellows: 1

Project Description: Fellow will work directly with children in the early-childhood program or after-school program setting providing academic instruction/tutoring. Fellow will continue to develop a Youth Leadership Council program using a Community Based Participatory framework to facilitate the empowerment of youth in the development of meaningful experiential learning activities of their choosing that would promote positive social skills, leadership skills, and research/critical thinking skills. Finally, based on their knowledge and skills in the areas of child development and special education, the fellows will be involved with providing professional development workshops and training to support after-school staff in the use of effective strategies when working with youth with special needs, develop materials, and model strategies that can inform the staff about the support needs for autistic youth and those with other developmental disabilities.

Skills Sought: Fellow will benefit from having experience supporting students with disabilities. Moreover, Fellow should have a strong interest working with culturally diverse children and their families.

Sponsor: Dr. Richard Jochum 

Department: Arts & Humanities

Fellowship Site: Teachers College Community School, PS 517

Number of Fellows: 2

Project Description: The Fellows will teach classes in technology-infused art education at Teachers College Community School (TCCS). The curriculum will allow kids to engage in collaborative making projects including but not limited to digital storytelling (stop-motion animation), 3D modeling and VR, physical computing (with Makey-Makeys, electronic circuits, and crafts material), and creative coding (with building blocks such as Scratch). The program will enable pupils to personalize and integrate what they have learned in their classes and engage in hands-on explorations, collaboration, creative inquiry, and play. It will help them to approach technologies as creators, not consumers while activating rich connections between art, technology, and education. Students will be introduced to various applications and digital tools using traditional art-making materials. This blend of digital and analog processes promotes cross-disciplinary thinking and collective problem-solving in a playful and expressive way.

Skills Sought: The students are expected to have completed the first year of the Creative Technologies curriculum, which teaches basic skills in digital storytelling, creative coding, physical computing, and digital fabrication, or to possess significant teaching experience with creative technologies. They must demonstrate excellence in communication, be reflective practitioners, and deeply care for communities, students, and learning. Our program offers a unique opportunity for pre-service teachers to collaborate genuinely with their students, putting dialogical and democratic theories of education into practice. Instructors will thoughtfully facilitate student-led projects while also integrating their creative practices into the work being produced.

Sponsor: Dr. Pamela Ann Koch 

Department: Health Studies & Applied Educational Psychology/Arts & Humanities

Fellowship Site: Columbia Secondary School (CSS)

Number of Fellows: 2

Project Description: Germination supports the implementation of embodied, social-justice-oriented, creative, food-justice, spiritual, and eco-pedagogies with students at a middle school in Harlem for sustainability transformation. Supported by the Visual Research Center for Education, Art, & Social Change collaboration with the Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education & Policy at TC, this project educates and empower youth, fusing art, science, nutrition (through cooking and gardening) and movement in creative and collaborative ways. We work with Columbia Secondary Schools, which is near a park and has a school garden. This makes it easy to have nature-based pedagogical space for students to engage with nature, movement, hands-on learning activities, and walks as well as to self-reflect, express, and represent their embodied practices with creativity for sustainability transformations. In particular, Germination combines embodied, critical, spiritual, and arts-based pedagogies along with “moving to think about” sustainability transformation, encouraging students to reflect on in-nature practices (e.g., walking, planting, touching, cooking, gardening, interacting with nature, feelings, problem solving through hands-on science activities, photographing, creating personal diaries, engaging in mapping practices, and listening) while critically and artistically engaging with the material and spatial entanglement of their bodies with the landscape of their own school community. Critical explorations of their embodied practices strengthen students’ relationships with nature and enable them to develop a commitment to sustainability transformation, art-based practices offer a creative means for opening up a pedagogical space for social imagination, releasing the transformative potential of the arts. Embodied, reflective, creative, food-justice, spiritual, and eco-pedagogies implemented with and for youth aim to create a position of agency for young people to become “living and sensing bodies” for social change; to connect the embodied self to their own community environment with mindful movement, developing a more complex and intimate relationship with their school community; to reflect, express, and represent their embodied knowledge with creativity; and to become “activists” as well as “artists,” learning how to exhibit their embodied knowledge in their own cultural terms and from their own vantage point at arts-based exhibitions that become a visible part of their community. By walking, moving, exploring, picturing, cooking, “planting,” and “growing” throughout their school community, students become attuned to different spaces and places, plants, surfaces, materials, and soils, which in turn nurtures how young people learn, become in society, and make sense of their own place for sustainability transformation.

The fellows will work together to create embodied experiences where the Columbia Secondary School students take part in experiential activities in nature and about nature such as walking, cooking and gardening and then have students reflect on these experiences through literacy and art activities. The fellows will work together to create an ongoing art project that will be displayed in the school and will continue to grow, expand and change throughout the school year, and will be on display for the entire school community.

Skills sought: Nutrition Fellow: Experience with working young people on gardening and cooking experiences and relating these experiences through science (how plants grow and how food changes as it is prepared) and math (how to plan a garden space and how to apply math when cooking recipes). A team player who wants to work alongside students from different programs at Teachers College. OR...

Art Fellow: Experience with working with young people on art projects, particularly interpretive projects where the young people are creating art based on their lived experiences. A team player who wants to work alongside students from different programs at Teachers College. OR...

Spirituality Fellow: Experience working with young people in nature to have embodied experiences that allow them to connect with how our ecosystem works as well as improving their engagement in school and in embodied experiences. A team player who wants to work alongside students from different programs at Teachers College.

Sponsor: Ms. Stephanie Latchman

Fellowship Sites: Frederick Douglass Academy II (03M860) , P.S. 036 Margaret Douglas (05M036), PS 154 Harriet Tubman Learning Center (05M154)

Number of Fellows: 6

Project Description: The Raising Educational Achievement Coalition of Harlem (REACH) is an initiative at Teachers College, Columbia University, dedicated to improving educational outcomes for students in Harlem through a community school model. REACH focuses on supporting schools with integrated student services, family and community engagement, and expanded learning opportunities to address barriers to academic success.

As part of this effort, Zankel Fellows at TC will play a key role in providing expanded learning opportunities for students. Their responsibilities include assisting with after-school programs, lunch programs and pushing into classrooms to provide targeted support during the school day. They will also support the Success Mentoring Program to engage at-risk and chronically absent students, collaborate with teachers and school staff to reinforce classroom learning, and help implement family and community engagement initiatives. Additionally, Zankel Fellows will contribute to Cyphers for Justice, a youth-centered program that uses hip-hop, spoken word, and social justice education to empower students and amplify their voices and access resources around them. Through these efforts, they will help create meaningful learning experiences that foster academic success and student engagement beyond the school day.

Skills Sought: REACH is looking for Zankel Fellows who would exhibit skills such as leadership, professionalism, flexibility, has a skill and/or talent that is transferable to teach K-12 students, attentive, detailed-oriented, and a commitment to social justice/community. We are also seeking fellows who have the majority of their availability during the hours of 9 AM - 5 PM on weekdays.

Sponsor: Drs. Megan Laverty & Dr. David Hansen

Department: Arts & Humanities | Philosophy and Education

Fellowship Site: The Bronx High School for Law and Community Service

Number of Fellows:  1

Project Description: The Fellow's proposed responsibilities include attending the school one full day a week, observing the cooperating teacher's pedagogy as part of a self-study the teacher is undertaking, assisting the cooperating teacher on occasion with the teaching of English, providing conferences and individualized instruction for some students, and meeting with the cooperating teacher to discuss the value of teaching argumentation. 

Skills Sought: We are looking for a fellow with teaching experience, knowledge of argumentation theory, and familiarity with qualitative research methods.

Sponsor: Dr. Na Lor

Department: Educational Policy and Social Analysis

Fellowship Site: PS 125, Ralph Bunche School

Number of Fellows: 2

Project Description: Zankel Fellows will provide classroom tutoring for recent newcomers and after school mentoring and programming to build culture and community wealth for all students. Zankel Fellows will facilitate guided activities that (a) demonstrate culturally pluralistic conceptions of what it means to know, repositioning students as agents and co-creators of knowledge; (b) create third spaces for diverse cultural ways of knowing to thrive, inviting students in as co-collaborators in their own learning; and (c) preserve cultural and ethnic identity, revitalizing linguistic and cultural repertoires of knowledge and contributing to the collective restoration and reclamation of culture in educational spaces.

Skills sought: Fellows should be bi/multilingual with an interest in community/cultural praxis and restorative education. Fellows should also possess the skills or aspirations to be youth mentors and the ability to work with others towards designing a culture-based curriculum and implementing culturally revitalizing/sustaining activities.

Sponsor: Dr. Susan Masullo

Department: Health Studies & Applied Educational Psychology

Fellowship Site: READ 718

Number of Fellows: 2

Project Description: The Fellows will provide intervention services in small group and individual sessions to students identified as reading and writing below grade level expectations. These services will be provided at a Brooklyn non-profit after school program. Fellows will receive training from the placement site in strategies and methods that have been shown to be effective for students who have difficulty reading and writing. They will conduct intervention sessions minimum of twice per week in a small group and one-on-one setting. The Fellow will work closely with the site's staff, including attending planning meetings and providing post-session information about students' response to intervention. 

Skills Sought: The Fellow must be committed to working with special readers and writers, want to learn about evidenced based strategies and programs, and develop some basic proficiency to implement them with this population in a professional manner. Prior experience teaching and/or tutoring children in reading and/or writing would add to the applicant's profile. Ideally, the Fellow is expected to extend what they learn from this experience to future career goals working with individuals with literacy needs, including those with learning disability.

Sponsor: Dr. Mary Mendenhall

Department: International & Transcultural Studies, International & Comparative Education Program, George Clement Bond Center for African Education

Fellowship Site: The African Services Committee (ASC)

Number of Fellows: 1

Project Description: The Fellows will provide additional English language/literacy instructional support to an existing program at the African Services Committee, which is currently seeing significant demand from newly arrived asylum seekers, many of whom are young adults. They are primarily, but not exclusively, from Africa, currently substantially from West Africa. Additional support would allow the existing program to offer different levels, more frequent meetings to smaller groups, and the possibility of one-to-one support. The Fellows would assume responsibility for a specific group or groups of young adults, preparing, delivering and following up on their sessions. The fellows would be responsible for selecting, adapting or devising appropriate curricula (lesson plans and learning materials), and for assessing participants’ performance for potential reassignment to a higher level group.

Skills Sought: Fellows should be fluent in the English language and comfortable working with young adults. Fellows should be prepared to serve a population that includes young people with multiple complex needs, who may be unhoused, or have trauma from their immigration experiences or other aspects of their lives. Fellows should uphold multicultural values and be interested in learning about their students' lives, interests, etc. Fellows should have strong interpersonal communication skills and be punctual, independent, and reliable. Fellows should be comfortable working during the early evening hours in Harlem. Additional language skills, particularly in French, Arabic, or African languages (particularly Wolof) are welcomed but are not required. Instruction is expected to be provided in English, but additional languages can be valuable in managing logistics and establishing trust with participants.

Sponsor: Dr. Oren Pizmony-Levy

Department: International & Transcultural Studies | International and Comparative Education

Fellowship Site:  TBD

Number of Fellows: 2

Project Description: This project will support NYC public school teachers in developing and implementing lesson plans on climate change, focusing on causes, consequences, and possible solutions. Zankel Fellows will work closely with teachers who have participated in TC’s Center for Sustainable Futures (CSF) professional development opportunities for New York City teachers over the last three years, including the Summer Institutes (120 teachers trained) and Mid-Winter Institutes (1,000 teachers trained). These free professional learning opportunities for K-12 NYCPS teachers have focused on developing educators’ knowledge of climate change and enhancing their skills and strategies with climate change education in their classrooms. To further support opportunities for youth to engage with climate change across the city, we will provide Zankel Fellows opportunities to work alongside teachers to implement interdisciplinary lessons and climate action day activities. efforts. Each Zankel Fellow will work with 3-4 teachers, providing classroom support and contributing to Green Teams (school-based clubs) in ways that build enhanced climate understandings and foster student-led climate action.

By integrating climate change with a range of school subjects including science, math, English language arts and social studies, this project directly engages NYC public school students in climate change education and action. The primary goal is to empower students to understand and address climate change, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed for climate action. This cross-curricular approach ensures that the project not only advances climate change education but also supports reading and math skill development, meeting the fellowship’s service priorities.

Skills Sought: Ability to support teachers in delivering interdisciplinary climate change lessons, facilitate student learning, and adapt instruction for diverse needs. A strong interest in sustainability and a commitment to learning more about climate change—its causes, consequences, and solutions. Experience mentoring students, collaborating with teachers, and engaging school communities in climate action initiatives. Strong time management, event coordination, and resource development skills to support classroom and extracurricular activities.

Sponsor: Dr. Beth Rubin

Department: Arts & Humanities 

Fellowship Site: We will be working in collaboration with REACH, the Reimagining Educational Achievement Coalition of Harlem, to bring YPAR to Frederick Douglass Academy II in Harlem.

Number of Fellows: 2

Project Description: The Civically Engaged Districts (CED) Project is a community-engaged research-practice partnership led by Dr. Beth Rubin that is dedicated to supporting schools and districts to become more nurturing spaces for youth civic development. Youth-centered civic action research projects - on issues selected by and of concern to young people - are at the heart of the initiative. At every stage, these projects propel civic conversation throughout schools and districts, shifting adult understanding of young peoples' civic experiences and capacities and fostering civic belonging and agency among youth. The CED Project currently includes students and educators in school districts across New Jersey. We are actively beginning to work with New York City partners and would like to pilot the implementation of civic action research within a few New York City schools next year. This will include supporting youth in developing and carrying out school and community-based inquiries and connecting youth to school and community members and leaders as they investigate, share findings and advocate for change. As facilitators, the fellows will plan and carry out activities with young people to move them through the civic action research process. The facilitators will also coach the students on effective collaboration and communication with peers and adults so they can effectively share their ideas beyond the classroom walls. Alongside this primary responsibility, the Zenkel Fellows will be part of the team of graduate students, educators, and researchers creating curricular resources for the project. The fellows will also collaborate with the rest of the CED team to create an on-campus event where youth investigators will share their work with the larger community. This is a vibrant, ongoing project with great potential for mutual benefit for the Fellows and the participating schools. There is a solid support structure for the Fellows and the opportunity for them to expand their skills and knowledge and make their own unique contributions to the project.

Skills Sought:  Teaching or youth work experience, particularly in settings that value youth voice. Curriculum development experience. Ability to work collaboratively with people from diverse backgrounds with various perspectives, roles, and experiences. Comfort with ambiguity and change. Flexibility and adaptability. Creativity and humility. Enthusiasm for teaching. Commitment to youth empowerment. 

Sponsor: Dr. S. Garnett Russell

Department: International & Transcultural Studies; International and Comparative Education

Fellowship Site: Newtown High School, International Community High School (ICHS), Dual Language Middle School (DLMS)

Number of Fellows: 3

Project Description: In two high schools, Zankel Fellows will implement Human Rights Education (HRE) curricula developed by Zankel Fellows over the past five years, and also work to modify the curricula in discussion with the school and students to attend to current needs. The curricula are focused on developing knowledge and action around human rights but also include modules on socio-emotional learning (SEL) and literacy skills to fully access and exercise their rights. In DLMS, the fellows will provide English language literacy support through an after-school program (3 days a week) for newcomer students who have arrived in recent months. For the recently arrived newcomer students in the middle school, Zankel Fellows will utilize an English-language curriculum that is trauma-informed and fits the needs of these newcomer students.

Skills Sought: Familiarity with human rights frameworks and human rights education pedagogy, familiarity with the New York City public school system, experience working with high school students and vulnerable youth, such as newcomer and refugee students, experience with curriculum design, adaptation, and evaluation, the ability to confidently liaise with teachers and school administrators, advanced facilitation skills, familiarity with teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) to newcomer students, foreign language skills (ie. Spanish, French, Arabic) would be an asset.

Sponsor: Dr. Sandra Schmidt

Department: Arts & Humanities

Fellowship Site: Schomberg Center Junior Scholars Program (NYPL)

Number of Fellows: 1

Project Description: The Junior Scholars Program at the Schomburg Center for Research on Black Culture is a historical literacy, art, and inquiry-based program that invites 125 youth, ages 11 to 18, to explore Black history through the lens of the Schomburg's vast collections, exhibitions, and educational resources. The Junior Scholars Program is a tuition-free Saturday program promoting historical literacy through college-style lectures, presentations, and project-based learning. Zankel Fellows will support Junior Scholars as they conduct individual research and create original art inspired by their intensive study of the Schomburg Center's archives, exhibitions, and educational resources. Through this program, the Schomburg's Junior Scholars increase their knowledge of Black history and cultivate themselves to be the next generation of intellectual, social, cultural, and artistic influencers. The program runs for ten months on Saturdays, from October through June, culminating with an annual Youth Summit presentation to the public. The Zankel Fellow will support the Schomburg Education Department's mission to provide high-quality learning experiences related to the Schomburg Center's archival collections for students, educators, and people of all ages by building on the long Black community tradition of education for liberation. Through the Schomburg's programs and activities, learners of all ages can gain new perspectives on Black history, culture, and politics. They can acquire inquiry skills, critical thinking, creative expression, and social action. The Schomburg Education Department also works with all types of educators to share and develop best practices for teaching and learning. Our programs provide, for people of all identity expressions who share an interest in Black history, culture, and politics, a dynamic, holistic, and engaging way to access the rich resources of the Schomburg Center.

Responsibilities for the Zankel Fellow may include:

- Conducting curriculum research
- Facilitating small group cohort discussions
- Leading guided tours for school groups & youth programs
- Assisting instructors/scholars with research projects
- Attending weekly youth programs on Saturdays
- Supporting digital exhibition of youth projects

Skills Sought:  The Fellow must have skills in facilitating individual and small-group discussions with youth and working collaboratively with instructors and the program director to support the Young Scholars Program. The Fellow will also need to have skills in supporting individual youth projects, including archival research and the creation of original art. The Fellow must also be comfortable leading guided tours of the Schomburg Center for school groups and youth programs. Skills in archival research, digital media, and curriculum development would also be an asset. The Fellow will also need to be reflective about their own racial identity and how it shapes their understanding of Black history and culture.

Sponsor: Dr. Jacqueline Simmons

Department: Curriculum & Teaching

Fellowship Site: Democracy Prep Harlem Elementary School, 2005 Madison Avenue, NY, NY 10035

Number of Fellows: 1

Project Description: This project seeks to collaborate with Inquiring Minds Institute a nonprofit civic education organization that works with students in Title 1 elementary schools to foster opportunities for student agency. The organization believes that young children are capable of meaningful contributions to their classrooms, schools, and local neighborhoods as they develop into active citizens in a thriving democracy. To that end, Inquiring Minds partners with teachers and schools to co-design curriculum about democratic institutions and civic engagement. Students aged 8-14 learn about the responsibilities of citizenship, debate pressing social issues, and design projects to address authentic community needs. Students who graduate out of the elementary grades, often stay on as middle and high school mentors to younger students to vocalize their ideas and develop leadership skills in “youth councils.” Through this intergenerational process of co-creation, Inquiring Minds has produced important curricular tools for young children who are often ignored as incapable of true civic participation. Some examples of this work include Learning Walls, a unique pedagogical approach to support inquiry-based learning, Peacekeepers, a peer-mediation curriculum, and Our Town, an approach for implementing student-led government structures with authentic decision-making power. Their curriculum is research-driven, inquiry-based, and aligned with the National Council for the Social Studies C3 Framework.

The Zankel Fellowship would help to create a sustainable network between Inquiring Minds Institute, their partner schools in under-resourced communities, and TC’s research opportunities. In 2025-2026, the Zankel fellows will work directly with students in one of Inquiring Minds partner schools, Democracy Prep Harlem Elementary School to further discussions among students about civic literacy during this polarizing political time. The school is an ideal first partner because they are committed to civic education starting in kindergarten, and serves primarily African American (67%) and Hispanic (28%) students with 89% qualifying for free or reduced priced lunch.

Guidance for school-based curriculum development and facilitation will be sponsored by Jacqueline Simmons, Senior Lecturer in the C&T Department. Dr. Simmons is an advisor to Inquiring Minds and has supported the development of their inquiry model for critical thinking. Jonathan Collins, Assistant Professor in EPSA will co-sponsor. His research on student participation in education policy making is well-aligned with the project goals and will enrich the fellows’ work as well as the partnership. Prof. Collins is also Associate Director of TC’s Center for Educational Equity, which sponsors DemocracyReady NY “a multigenerational, statewide, nonpartisan coalition committed to preparing all New York students for civic participation.” Inquiring Minds is already an active member of DemocracyReady NY and has organized youth panels for the annual NY Civic Learning Week. The synergy between TC faculty, Inquiring Minds Institute, and Democracy Prep Harlem Elementary School will lead to strong advocacy for student-centered and -led civics opportunities at all levels – from the classroom to the state department of education. The support of Zankel fellows will greatly enhance this burgeoning partnership.

Role of Fellows

Fellows are integral to developing the sustainability of the school partnership. Fellows will design curriculum, collaborate with classroom teachers, plan and facilitate youth workshops, and collect key data points from classroom workshops. This will include:

Facilitating In-School Mentoring and Instruction - Each fellow will be partnered with an elementary grade classroom at Democracy Prep to provide mentorship and instruction to students using the Inquiring Minds civic literacy curricula.

Curriculum Co-Creation - Fellows will facilitate curriculum design with students, synthesizing ideas into new lessons and projects that support civic engagement.

Researchers - Fellows will serve as participant ethnographers, documenting how students understand and negotiate the curriculum. Data collected will assist in the analysis and assessment of curricular materials.

Skills Sought:

• Experience teaching in k-5 school settings is preferred. Other direct work with elementary grade students in an educational setting, such as tutoring and mentoring, will also be considered.
• Experience designing curriculum and lesson plans for elementary levels, or a prior coursework in curriculum design.
• Research skills such as taking observation notes, interviewing, and keeping a field journal.
• Strong organization and management skills such as scheduling meetings, creating documents, planning meetings and events, etc. Preference will be given to students with prior experience working in a school or similar professional setting.
• Excellent communication skills with students, teachers, and other school community members.
• Respect for children is a must! We are seeking educators who are open and friendly, enjoy listening to young children and are willing to take their ideas seriously.