FAQ

The Teach For India Fellowship: Why and How

Why should I join Teach For India?

The Teach For India Fellowship is designed for individuals who want to drive change through education and teaching. By working as full-time teachers in government or low-fee private schools, our Fellows have the opportunity to transform the lives of children from underserved communities. The Fellowship also acts as a platform for individuals to develop as leaders and build a future. Through the grassroots nature of this program, Fellows learn transferable managerial and leadership skills such as critical thinking, strategic planning, collaboration, communication, compassion, and more.
They embark on a journey of understanding their strengths, interests, and purpose, carving out their own path to building a meaningful career. With over 5,500 alumni from previous cohorts and the global Teach For All network with 62+ countries, Fellows can access a vast network of support and connections.

Find Your Purpose: Develop an awareness of how poverty and inequity impacts India's children. Discover your values, strengths and areas of development, passion and purpose.
Become a Leader: Deliver bold possibilities for students who may not otherwise have the opportunity to realise their full potential. Build concrete leadership skills of envisioning, stakeholder management planning, execution and reflection in challenging environments.
Join a Movement: Work with diverse stakeholders towards a shared vision. Become part of a movement of 4,000+ Fellows across India and countless more globally who will be your lifelong partners in this work.
Drive Change: Work at the grassroots level, and impact the lives of children and their families. Don't just talk about the India you envision.
Lead With Love: Build the capacity to lead a group of future leaders and nurture their abilities.

What does the Teach For India Fellowship entail?

Fellows are placed as full-time teachers for two years in English medium government or low-fee private schools across one of our 8 placement cities- Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Pune. They may be a class teacher teaching all subjects or a subject teacher teaching specific subjects like English, Math, Social Studies or Science. By working alongside other Fellows, the school staff and the families of students, they provide students with a holistic education rooted in overall development, skill building, values and academic growth. Fellows hold the lens of reflection, empathy and excellence in their daily work to be on a path of continuous growth. The Fellowship experience has 5 key stages that culminate in their joining our Alumni movement.

What does Teach For India look for in a Fellow?

A deep belief in an equitable, excellent education for all
Leadership potential and openness to learning
Courage: Are unafraid to chase ambitious goals
Perseverance and resilience through challenge
Demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving skills
Openness to collaboration with diverse stakeholders

How many Fellows does Teach For India currently have?

The Fellowship has approximately 1000 Fellows teaching across eight cities.‍

Where do Fellows come from? What is the composition of the cohort like?

Over the years, we have seen 5000+ individuals complete the Fellowship. In the cohort, one will experience the following:

Professional diversity - We have seen applicants from over 500 universities and 300 organisations apply for the Fellowship.
We have recent graduates and postgraduates from diverse degrees and Institutions such as LSR, Hindu College, Daulat Ram, Christ College, Anna University, Fergusson College, St. Xaviers, Jadavpur University, TISS, Jamia Milia Islamia, Delhi University, Symbiosis, Wellesley, Illinois Urbana Champagne, Franklin & Marshall, etc.
We attract ‍professionals pivoting from corporate jobs (who want to #DoMore than a 9-5 job) or other social sector professionals looking to work at the grassroots. These include professionals from Aditya Birla, Citibank, Axis Bank, Deloitte, E&Y, Salesforce, TCS, Zensar, Amazon, Infosys, ICICI, Make A Difference, etc.
Some are entrepreneurs keen to grow their leadership skills and explore India's grassroots through the Fellowship.
Age diversity - Our Fellows range from 22 to 64. No matter what stage of life you are at, it is never too late or too early to begin creating social impact and driving sustainable change in the world.
Regional diversity - Our Fellows come from all over the country, and some foreign nationals of Indian origin too. This composition makes each cohort culturally diverse.

Leadership Development, Training and Readiness

Where do Fellows come from? What is the composition of the cohort like?

At Teach For India, we believe in imparting a holistic education that enables children to excel academically and gain a holistic education rooted in a child's personal growth. Students (and Fellows) are encouraged and empowered to explore their growth, enable others around them, and constantly strive to impact the community around them positively.
We believe that teaching is leadership. To help our Fellows and Students become leaders, we focus on building skills and mindsets through our Leadership Development Journey (LDJ).

Is it mandatory to have prior teaching experience in order to apply for the Fellowship?

No, teaching experience is not required to be a Fellow. The Fellowship provides adequate training and development to help individuals learn the knowledge and skills of being a great teacher.

Will I be trained adequately before I start teaching?

No, teaching experience is not required to be a Fellow. The Fellowship provides adequate training and development to help individuals learn the knowledge and skills of being a great teacher.

How will the Teach For India experience help me grow professionally? What will I learn?

Your leadership journey will enable you to learn, practice, and grow in the following areas that are transferable to any sector thereafter:

Connect: Learn to build strong relationships and people management skills to create consensus among students, teachers, parents, local officials, and peers.
Envision: Build for the future. Enhance data analysis skills for problem-solving using qualitative and quantitative data to evaluate student progress, project success, and personal growth as a leader. Raise funds and manage resources for essential projects in your classroom.
Plan: Develop advanced planning, organisational, and time management skills to design projects that benefit students, communities, and yourself.
Execute: Develop the ability to think quickly, execute effectively, and communicate efficiently in a fast-paced environment while working on grassroot realities through your classroom.
Reflect: Develop the ability to analyse your experiences to improve your learning and work. This is a valuable skill that will help you internalise your experience and build confidence and self-awareness.

Location and Placement

Where will I be teaching?

As a Teach For India Fellow, you will be placed in schools in underserved communities in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai or Pune. All Fellows will be required to reside in one of these cities during the Fellowship period.

Which grade will I teach and what will be the medium of instruction?

As a Teach For India Fellow, you will be placed in a classroom between grade 1 to 10 where you will teach all major subjects — including English, Mathematics, Social Studies and Science, except for regional languages. Although the mother tongue helps interact within our communities, it is not a necessary prerequisite, as you will be teaching in English medium classrooms.

Compensation and Benefits

What options will be open to me after the Fellowship?

As a Teach For India Fellow, you will be paid a stipend of INR 25,344 per month. If you are relocating from your home city, you will receive a City Compensatory Allowance (CCA) ranging from INR 6,000 to INR 12,600 depending on your placement city during the Fellowship.

Will I be eligible for the stipend during the Summer Institute?

Yes, you will be eligible for the stipend even during the Summer Institute. However, Fellows relocating to a different city become eligible for the City Compensatory Allowance only once they move to their respective Teach For India placement city.

What additional benefits does the organisation provide?

A stipend of INR 25,344 per month.
A housing allowance of INR 6,000–12,600 (depending on the placement city).
Reimbursements for work-related expenses (e.g. school supplies on a per-child cost basis).
Health insurance of up to INR 100,000 and access to free counselling.
Casual and sick leave, national, regional and school holidays and a summer break.
Access to our career fair after the Fellowship.
Casual and sick leave, national, regional and school holidays and a summer break.
Access to our career fair after the Fellowship.

Post Fellowship Opportunities

What options will be open to me after the Fellowship?

Our Alumni secure jobs in the Education, Development and Governance sectors.
200 + Alumni are now CXOs and senior leaders across public, private, and social spheres.
Our Alumni become social entrepreneurs - 160+ organisations in the social sector were founded by Teach For India Alumni.
Our Alumni pursue Masters degrees from some of the most prestigious Graduate schools around the world.

How does Teach For India support Fellows with their post-Fellowship opportunities?

Teach For India hosts two Career Fairs for its second-year Fellows in the last quarter of their Fellowship:

The Internal Career Fair for staff roles within Teach For India.
The External Career Fair with over 100 diverse employers (from the education, social development and corporate sectors) offering roles up to mid-level positions.

In addition, Fellows receive support for post-Fellowship opportunities through training and review sessions on topics like Resume-making and mock interviews.

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