Elon University
Rooted in the historic tradition of the United Church of Christ, Elon University, a private, co-educational institution, embraces its founders’ vision of an academic community that transforms mind, body and spirit, and encourages freedom of thought and liberty of conscience. With a National Teacher of the Year as well as two North Carolina Teachers of the year among our graduates, Elon is known for its outstanding teacher education curriculum that prepares highly qualified teachers to make a difference in the world of education.
Our Teaching Fellows program involves extensive required study/travel experiences at home and abroad for academic credit, opportunities to get real classroom experience as early as your Freshman year, visits to exemplary, innovative N.C. schools (including a bilingual elementary school along with an education center for children with special needs) and a wealth of cultural and social events throughout the year. Elon Fellows will benefit from smaller class sizes and personal interaction with dedicated student-oriented faculty members who are leaders in their fields. Fellows will also develop strong mentor relationships with their academic advisors and their teacher mentors in local schools.
Distinctive features of the Elon Teaching Fellows program include:
American History Study Tour
Deepen your knowledge of American history by participating in a three-week travel course during the winter term of your freshman year. Through readings, discussions, and visits to historic sites along the East Coast, such as Boston and Philadelphia, you will learn about selected major turning points, issues and actors in U.S. history.
A Semester in London or Costa Rica — the experience of a lifetime!
Spend the spring semester of your sophomore year living and studying in London or San José, Costa Rica or an appropriate country if you are a foreign language major. You’ll continue your own education and also intern at local schools. Take note of similarities and differences in the teaching systems as you construct a repertoire of creative teaching methods. Elon pays for airfare, and Fellows pay regular tuition, fees, and room charges.
Leadership Experience in Washington, D.C.
Spend Winter Term of your junior year in Washington, D.C. for a 2-week Leadership Seminar at The Washington Center. Discuss politics, the media, the politics of the media and the inherent qualities of American democracy with national experts. Learn from prime-time reporters, White House personnel, and politicians about the workings of the federal government and how to become a future leader in education.
Seminars, Field Trips and Service
Seminars on professional issues, campus cultural events and field trips to innovative area schools supplement Teaching Fellows’ professional development. You also have the opportunity to tutor in K–12 community schools starting in your freshman year.
Scholarships
Each Elon Teaching Fellow receives $6,500 from the N.C. Teaching Fellows Commission, $6,500 from Elon scholarship funds plus the N.C. Legislative Tuition Grant ($1850 for 2009-2010). Teaching Fellows must teach for at least four out of seven years in North Carolina public schools after graduation or repay only the Commission’s portion of the scholarship with interest. You may be considered for additional financial assistance if eligible. Scholarships that students may have from external sources may be applied to the balance.
Note: Elon admits 25 Teaching Fellows annually. An audition is required for Music Education majors.
As Elon Teaching Fellows, we dedicate ourselves to the following:
• The advancement of learning through classroom, field, and travel experiences.
• The development of expertise to promote responsibility, leadership, and service.
• The cultivation and refinement of our professionalism.
• The establishment of a unified network of fellow teachers.
• The promotion of education as the foundation of society.
To these ends, we commit our time, our resources, and our energy.
For more information, please visit Elon's Teaching Fellows Website at: www.elon.edu/elonnctf/.
