After a challenging year for students and families around the world, the inaugural cohort of VIPTeach Global Online Teaching Fellows are finding ways to leverage their unique skill sets to support public sector and nonprofit education organizations promoting educational equity in their communities.
The VIPTeach Fellowship is a first-of-its-kind virtual service and professional development program for leaders who want to learn how to leverage technology to bridge cultural and language barriers and opportunity gaps in education. Fellows participate in a Spring Semester Capstone Project, the culminating professional learning and service experience of the one-year Fellowship program. Through the Capstone Project, Fellows will develop, implement, and present pro bono consulting, community service, and research projects in partnership with public sector and nonprofit education organizations. The Capstone Project is designed to amplify the social impact and commitment to educational equity of the VIPTeach Fellows by supporting their service to their local communities.
VIPTeach Fellows are using their online teaching skills to support underserved students in their own backyards as volunteer virtual tutors. In addition, Fellows are deploying their research skills to increase understanding of the impact on learning during school closures and solutions to mitigate negative effects on students. The cohort is also engaged in creating open resources for educators and students to scale their impact.
We are proud to announce this year’s Capstone Project partners who will be working closely with our Fellows to serve their communities:
Alabama – Tuscaloosa Public Library and Tuscaloosa City Schools
VIPTeach Fellows Stephanie Horton, Jeanette Salazar, and Chris Fenwick will bring ESL Storytime to children via social media and develop a guide on best practices and techniques to build English learners’ literacy skills in a virtual environment.
Blue Star Families
VIPTeach Fellow Tiffany Boone will support Blue Star Families’ research to raise awareness of the unique distance learning challenges for military families in the U.S.
Destination Imagination
VIPTeach Fellows Melissa Stefanko and Tamara Thovtrup will research the impact of Destination Imagination’s imagineXperience sponsored by Lumen Technologies, the global educational nonprofit’s digital STEAM challenge for underserved students.
Maryland – First Book, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore City Public Schools
VIPTeach Fellows Loretta Holmberg and Ann Mengel will be delivering books from the nonprofit First Book’s Marketplace accompanied with recorded read-alouds to economically-impacted and under-resourced students.
New Jersey – JerseyCAN
VIPTeach Fellow Melissa Pesce-Rescigno will research the policy implications of federal funds to mitigate student learning loss in New Jersey.
New York – ARC of Mid-Hudson, St. Columba School
VIPTeach Fellows Susan Landaira and Kate Schartel Novak will be tutoring English language learners and students with disabilities online who would not otherwise have access to additional one-on-one academic support.
United Way Vello
VIPTeach Fellow Elayne Lemieux will provide strategic support to the United Way Vello online tutoring program to increase their impact on underserved students and their teachers.
Fellows will continue their work with these partner organizations through July 2021. We look forward to keeping you updated on their progress and the impact of their projects!
About VIPTeach
VIPTeach is a U.S. 501(c)(3) public charity that empowers educators with technology and professional learning to drive innovation and equity in education. VIPTeach gives education leaders support, skills, and opportunities to break down barriers that prevent many children from accessing quality education through programs such as the Global Online Teaching Fellowship. VIPTeach is founded by Cindy Mi, former teacher and Founder and CEO of VIPKid, a leading global education technology company.
