JerseyCAN’s 2025-26 Education Advocacy Fellowships Application

JerseyCAN is building a vibrant advocacy community for NJ teachers and parents through its Education Advocacy Fellowships.

JerseyCAN’s NJ Teacher Leader Policy Fellowship and Parent Champions for Strong Schools Fellowship provide teachers and parents (Fellows) with opportunities to participate in year-long fellowships to study the NJ education policy landscape, hone their advocacy skills, and achieve collective and individual advocacy goals.

Participants will work with their fellow teachers and parents, as well as across fellowships, as they are supported in taking action at the state or local level in one or more of these key priority areas:

• • Innovation: Designing and expanding creative, research-informed approaches to teaching, learning, and school design that respond to the evolving needs of students, families, and communities.
  • Career Pathways: Advancing opportunities that prepare students for postsecondary success in both college and careers, such as early earning of college credit while in high school, apprenticeships, and industry-aligned learning experiences.
  • Foundational ELA & Math: Strengthening early and sustained instruction in math and literacy to ensure all students build the essential skills they need to thrive academically.

• Teachers and parents seek more knowledge of and influence over education policy.
  As a non-profit that has successfully written and influenced education policy in New Jersey since 2013, JerseyCAN is positioned to help teachers and parents learn the ins and outs of education systems and governance so that parents and teachers have more opportunities to actively and effectively engage in advocacy to benefit student outcomes.
• Teacher leadership keeps our strongest teachers in classrooms where they are best positioned to positively impact student outcomes.
  We believe that teachers who influence education policy and practice while simultaneously teaching students are one of the greatest assets to our education system. They are both directly influencing student outcomes and keenly abreast of policy needs and the realities of implementation.
• Robust parent advocacy, or families’ efforts to promote ambitious, healthy education policies and practices, benefit children throughout the state. Parents and families are the #1 advocates for our young people; by giving them influence and input around educational decisions, educators and communities can join together in advocating for the best possible outcomes for our students.

In addition to a network of support and enriching professional learning opportunities, each fellow will receive a $2,500 stipend for participating in the program.

To receive this stipend, Fellows are expected to thoughtfully engage in and attend all in-person and virtual convenings and put their learning into practice by completing a minimum of one advocacy goal or milestone.

Note: Attendance at all convenings, both in-person and virtual, is mandatory. All convenings and meetings will take place outside of school hours.

* All in-person convenings will take place on Saturdays and will be located in the central region of the state.

To apply, candidates must be open to JerseyCAN’s mission and vision, have a minimum of two years of experience teaching in New Jersey’s schools OR be the parent of a New Jersey student, commit to attending all convenings listed in the application, and be passionate about leading state or local advocacy work in one or more of this year’s focus areas (a. designing and expanding creative, research-informed approaches to teaching, learning, and school design that respond to the evolving needs of students, families, and communities; b. advancing opportunities that prepare students for postsecondary success in both college and careers, such as early earning of college credit while in high school, apprenticeships, and industry-aligned learning experiences; c. strengthening early and sustained instruction in math and literacy to ensure all students build the essential skills they need to thrive academically.)

If you meet all of these qualifications and are a New Jersey teacher or parent who is interested in learning about and engaging in policy and advocacy, apply below by completing Part 1 of 2: Online Application. Preference will be given to applicants who apply before September 9, 2025. Candidates who are being considered for selection will be contacted to set up a Part 2 of 2: Follow-up Interview via Zoom later in the month.