The Fellowship

What is the Fellowship?

The Teachers CAN Fellowship aims to bring together young teachers who are passionate and committed to building an education sector that will ensure every child in South Africa receives a quality education. We define a quality education as an experience that enables each learner to succeed in school and provides the basis for them to develop to their highest potential. 

What is perhaps most unique about the way we are tackling this issue is our commitment to centering the teacher and positioning them as a powerful force in our bid to see each child reach their highest potential. 

The fellowship is a yearlong programme designed to capacitate 25 young teachers each year to develop a common identity that is rooted in professionalism, creativity and disruption of the status quo. It is made up of three one week-long immersions that take place in the March, June and September public school holidays. The immersions focus on three main concepts, building a change agent identity, building generative communities, and building a vision/ influence. These are aimed to support the teachers in being able to live out the Teachers CAN manifesto, which outlines five core values that can enable young teachers to tap into their individual and collective agency. The manifesto states that teachers should be able to:

1. Support learners to reach their potential in all aspects of their lives. 
2. Engage as equals and for equality in schools. 
3. Innovate and own school-wide teaching practices. 
4. Play an active role in school structures. 
5. Connect to a wider world of social change.Beyond the yearlong fellowship, the fellows will engage in a vibrant alumni community and broader network post the year.

I started teaching because I wanted to create a safe space for learners where they can be themselves while learning and growing. My goal is to impact education in a way that helps us attain social justice in our country.

Thobani Ndlovu
2021 Teachers CAN fellow

Our Fellows

The Fellows are between the ages of 23-35, with 2-5 years of teaching experience in South African classrooms. They demonstrate the potential to become the change agents who will drive the agenda of quality education for every child in South Africa.