Contents:
1. About the fellowship
2. Mission
3. Values
4. Timeline - phases of fellowship <<infographic>>
5. Selection Process
6. Eligibility
7. Fellow Support
8. Location
9. FAQs
10. Collaboration & Exchange
1. About the fellowship:
The Barefoot Rise Fellowship is an immersive 24-month experience that helps in achieving educational equity in rural India by providing an opportunity to India’s brightest individuals to serve as full-time teachers in Shikshaniketan, an extended primary school run by Barefoot College.
Through this experience of teaching and living in rural Rajasthan Barefoot Rise fellows not only get exposed to the grassroots realities of India’s education system, but also develop the skills for becoming strong advocates for change inside and outside of the classroom.
To develop their skills in the classroom fellows will go through an extensive month-long orientation prior to entering the classroom along with continued support from experienced mentors throughout Phase 1 of the program.
In addition fellows will be given multiple opportunities for exposure visits through their time as Rise fellowship. The purpose of these visits are to expose fellows to different educational philosophies and ways of teaching. While at the school fellows will be encouraged to engage with the local community to better understand the backgrounds of the students and the context in rural Rajasthan. These experiences will offer the fellows many opportunities to broaden their perspectives and expand as teachers and as individuals.
2. Mission:
“While working as classroom teachers our intention is to create a safe learning-space for students, which enables them to share and explore their thoughts and ideas, with emphasis on developing the required knowledge, skills and values for them to be successful in their given communities.
All the while, we hope to keep focus on the sustainability of our work through documenting lesson plans and activities and creating an archive of durable teaching materials.
In addition, we intend to activate cross-learning platforms with local teachers, community and staff by exchanging skills and experiences that are relevant to classroom and local culture.”
3. Values
- Empathetic Engagement
- Collaborative Creation
- Locally Global Mindset
- Reasoned Approach
- Sustainable Action
- Constant Curiosity
4. Timeline
Phase 1 – orientation (May 20 – June 20)
Phase 2 – Classroom teaching – learning by teaching (briefly mention the support plan) (see more about this in section Fellow Support) – Sustainable material creation – building relationships and understanding of the educational realities
Phase 3 – Continue on as part-time classroom teachers, with an increased role in teacher training, through a unique co-teaching program and in project development for improving and developing the school.
The two year commitment is necessary to make the impact we wish to have on student achievement. Throughout the period, fellows will refine their teaching skills and will start to establish respect and trust among various stakeholders within the school community and the students. During this same period, the fellows with work closely with Barefoot College to develop teaching strategies to achieve an overall goal of providing access to quality education to children from underprivileged communities of India.
6. Selection Process
Fellows complete a rigorous, multistage selection process where they are evaluated for core competencies that are essential for success within and beyond the Fellowship. Competencies include demonstrated leadership, critical thinking, and commitment to our goal of developing a strong quality localised education model.
INTRODUCTION TO DIVISION
COUNTING (PRESCHOOL)
ENGLISH:LEARNING ABOUT FRUITS
UNDERSTANDING SOURCES OF WATER
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
*You shall be assessed on your idea, creativity, motivation and ability to articulate. Finish/look/detailing of TLM is not important. TLM out of waste or easily available low cost material shall be preferred.
VIDEO CONFERENCE BASED INTERVIEW FOR FURTHER SHORTLISTING
Selected fellows will submit a basic medical certificate before orientation
Application Timeline & Deadlines
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. We encourage all applicants to apply early because the selected fellows will be able to plan their travel and relocation early. Applications submitted beyond the final deadline will not be considered for selection process.
15th March – First list of shortlisted candidates will be intimated
15th April – Second list of shortlisted candidates will be intimated
30th April –Final list of shortlisted candidates will be intimated
We would like to highlight candidates to apply before one of the above specified deadlines which will allow sufficient time for candidates selected as fellows to plan their travel to the location of orientation.
7. Eligibility
Young at heart professionals or graduates, healthy, motivated and energetic, high on communication skills, who are interested or are already participating in developing or delivering quality education to children aged 5 to 15.
8. Fellow Support
Fellows receive a monthly stipend of Rs. 8,000 for living expenses at the project location. Affordable housing and dining are available near the school. Rs. 50,000 and a certificate of appreciation will be awarded at the completion of 1 year of the fellowship. Rs. 1,00,000 and an additional certificate of appreciation will be awarded at the completion of 2 years of the fellowship.
Fellows will receive mentorship from experienced educationalists from the start of the orientation throughout their 2 years as Rise Fellows. During orientation fellows will undergo extensive training that will help them to develop their pedagogical awareness and teaching techniques, learn by teaching in an offsite rural location, gain an in-depth understanding of the content and curriculum they will be using and to gain a better understanding of the rural context
Through Phase 1, Classroom Teaching, fellows will be supported through weekly classroom observations and feedback sessions, which help the fellows to incrementally master teaching skills in the classroom. Similarly, fellows are given an opportunity to reflect on their experiences and expand their understanding of education through focused, bi-monthly, sharing and discussion meetings.
During Phase 2, Expanded Development and Collaboration, mentors will continue to support fellows with their teaching, co-teaching and the projects that they will be undertaking in the school. They will also be given opportunities to support the incoming batch of fellows through taking part in training sessions and meetings.
To further support the personal and professional development of the fellows, bi-annual exposure visits will be planned. Exposure visits are very structured, authentic, learning opportunities for fellows to explore different teaching philosophies and further reflect and expand on their development as educators.
9. Location
Shikshaniketan is a day school run by Barefoot College in a village called Tilonia of Rajasthan. With its rural charm still intact, you as a fellow will be closely interacting with children and teachers from the communities in and around Tilonia.
Weather ranges drastically from summer months to winter months, Summer months (end of April - end of July) have temperatures hovering around 47 degrees with winters descending to single digits. Rain is scarce, thus greatly valued. Experiencing and acclimating to Tilonia's weather is an experience in itself!
10. Collaborations and Exchanges
TFIx,
Doosra Dashak
Hajji School
Chirag School
Dusara Dashak
Royal Society of Chemistry
Atal Innovation Mission - Niti Aayog
11. FAQs
Why has Barefoot College launched this fellowship?
Barefoot College has always encouraged collaborations with young people through providing avenues and learning opportunities to build leadership skills that allow youth to explore the development sector. Barefoot College, from its inception in 1972, has a rich history of volunteers coming in to exchange learnings with the local community. The Barefoot Rise Fellowship was created for young people to undergo experiential learning in rural India while working to improve teaching and learning at the community school.
Do Fellows get holidays?
Yes. The best thing about being a teacher is that you get school holidays. School has holidays on Sundays. The school has scheduled mid-term, winter and summer vacations. Also exposure visits are scheduled so that fellows will not miss too much school, so these often happen during scheduled vacation time.
What exactly do Fellows do in schools?
In the first year fellows are largely classroom teachers. So just imagine what a teacher does. Some things that fellows do in the day include conducting and or supporting at the school assembly, teaching lessons, conducting assessments, lesson planning, creating TLMs, communicating with parents etc. Fellows work to make connections with the local community and exchange knowledge and culture with them.
Can anyone leave the Fellowship after one year or be asked to leave mid-way?
Fellows have their freedom of choice and are not bound by any contract. We request you to apply for fellowship only if you can commit to minimum of one academic year because your decisions greatly affect the children in your classes. Please remember that this is a personal commitment you are making to the community, school and organisation. Mentors in the fellowship are understanding of the importance of fellows’ personal well-being and, through building close relationships with the fellows, are able to monitor and support the fellows in whatever ways are possible.
What are the core principles of the Fellowship?
Barefoot Rise Fellowship believes in building teachers at grassroots level who work to try and understand the local context as well as the wider trends in education. The fellowship is built with ‘learning by doing’ as one of its core principles where fellows learn about themselves as individuals and teachers, learn about challenges in education sector, get exposed other issues and case studies linked to learning and learn to think critically about policies in education and rural development. For more detailed information, please refer to ‘Values & Mission’ section of this document.
What kind of support will the fellows get during the fellowship period?
Fellows are supported with training through orientation, mentorship during the year, learning and sharing circles and exposure visits. Please refer to ‘Fellow Support’ section of this document for more information. Fellows live in a safe communal living environment and have many opportunities to form close relationships with local community and other volunteers at Barefoot College.
How can I apply for the Fellowship?
Applications for the 2019 Fellowship will open on 01 February 2019 until 30 April 2019. Submit the application through this link; https://www.barefootcollege.org/were-looking-for-barefoot-rise-fellows/
Why should I join the Barefoot Rise Fellowship?
Barefoot College offers you the chance to make a real difference in tackling one of India’s most pressing challenges — Access to quality education. Working with Barefoot College, you will not only overcome the challenge but also develop a strong understanding of the rural development eco-space through developing and leveraging your strong leadership skills.
Who is the fellowship looking for?
Barefoot College is looking for potential Fellows who have exhibited academic proficiency, demonstrated leadership, strong organisational skills, hold a degree and are inclined to make a commitment to the community.
What does the Barefoot Rise Fellowship entail?
The two year commitment is necessary to make the impact we wish to have on student achievement. Throughout the period, fellows will refine their teaching skills and will start to establish respect and trust among various stakeholders within the school community and the students. During this same period, the fellows with work closely with Barefoot College to develop teaching strategies to achieve an overall goal of providing access to quality education to children from underprivileged communities of India.