RALEIGH, N.C. ⸺ Before most North Carolina Teaching Fellows at NC State step into their own classrooms, they will have new opportunities to explore what a long, sustainable teaching career can look like, thanks to a new partnership between the Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership and Teaching Fellows at NC State.

Starting this spring, Kenan Fellows alumni, veteran educators who have completed North Carolina’s premier teacher leadership program, will collaborate with Teaching Fellows at NC State through programming designed to further connect preservice teachers to the realities of the profession before they enter it.

The partnership addresses a request Kathleen Harrell heard from preservice teachers when she became the director of Teaching Fellows at NC State in December. When she asked what the students most wanted from spring programming, the answer was hearing more from veteran classroom teachers who could share their experiences and lessons learned.

“They were very clear about wanting to hear more from folks who love what they do, who are currently in a K-12 classroom, and who want to stay in the classroom,” Harrell said. 

As she thought about who could deliver that kind of programming, the Kenan Fellows Program stood out. When Kenan Fellows Director Vance Kite reached out to the program’s alumni network on a Friday to gauge interest in working with Teaching Fellows, more than 50 alumni had responded by Monday morning.

“Teaching Fellows produces some of North Carolina’s most committed future educators. The Kenan Fellows Program exists to develop teacher leaders who stay in the profession and grow within it. This partnership brings our organizations together at the right moment in a teacher’s development,” Kite stated.

Spring Programming

The collaboration launches with two events in April. On April 13, Kenan Fellows alumni from the Wake County Public School System, Durham Public Schools and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools will visit NC State’s campus for a session called “Lessons from the Field.” The session will give Teaching Fellows first-hand insights into how schools and districts operate, from Montessori classrooms to traditional secondary science programs, and provide time for open conversation with working teachers.

On April 27, 10 Kenan Fellows alumni will lead the semester’s final “All Fellows Forum,” a required event for all 270 Teaching Fellows at NC State. That session will focus on navigating transitions from academic study to a first-year teaching position.

Kenan Fellows alumni are also reviewing application videos submitted by finalists for the statewide Teaching Fellows program, and they are opening their classrooms to Teaching Fellows as part of a program experience called “Discovery,” which takes preservice teachers on visits to schools across North Carolina.

The Retention Connection

Both organizations see the spring programming as just a starting point. According to data from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, of every five candidates who enter a North Carolina teacher preparation program, only two stay in the profession long-term.

Harrell, who previously worked with a beginning teachers’ support program and has seen that pattern firsthand, understands that professional community and leadership opportunities are among the factors most closely associated with teacher retention. That’s why she thinks Kenan Fellows was a good fit for this type of programming.

The Kenan Fellows Program connects teachers to a statewide professional network, giving them a lasting community of support for longevity in the field.

“I think about this partnership as a gift to their future selves,” Harrell said. “In two or three years, when they’re wondering what comes next, that seed will have been planted. They’ll remember that they heard from a Kenan Fellow.”

Harrell’s longer-term goal is an ongoing partnership in which Teaching Fellows engage with Kenan Fellows alumni throughout their time at NC State. This is a model that could extend to the other nine institutions participating in the North Carolina Teaching Fellows program.

Dr. Bennett Jones, State Director of the North Carolina Teaching Fellows (NCTF) Program, is grateful for the bold leadership of both the Kenan Fellows and the Teaching Fellows Program at NC State.

Jones stated, “NCTF is one of the premier loan-forgiveness teacher preparation programs in the country and collaborations like this between teaching fellows at NC State and the distinguished Kenan Fellows are a prime example of how investments in educator preparation and support can have lasting impacts in schools across the state.” 

About the Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership
The Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership is a statewide force for teacher leadership and growth in North Carolina. Founded in 2000 and based at the Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology & Science at N.C. State University, the program invests in teachers through immersive industry experiences, professional development, and a strong, enduring community. Every investment returns to classrooms, schools and communities, advancing education and our communities’ future together. Learn more at kenanfellows.org.

To learn more about Teaching Fellows at NC State, visit the website.