Donate
Policy Fellowship - Public School Teachers

POLICY FELLOWSHIP FOR TEACHERS

Bridging the classroom and the cabinet. Empowering Maharashtra's educators as active co-designers of state education policy.

Apply for the Fellowship

"Our mission is to bridge the gap between policy and practice by empowering teachers and amplifying their voices in shaping educational policy and practice."

Our Goal

To improve laws and policies at the school, district, and state levels.

What Teachers Will Learn

  • Develop leadership abilities and learn to shape education policy.
  • Build storytelling skills for impact.
  • Understand the role of advocacy.
  • Learn how policy is created to improve opportunities and outcomes for students.

Output

  • Lift their voices by writing op-eds to deepen the public's understanding of issues that matter to students and communities.
  • Share policy recommendations through testimony and meetings with policymakers.
  • Lead advocacy campaigns – ultimately working to create meaningful change for student success at the school, district, and state levels.

20

Policy Fellows

15+

Districts Represented

10+

Policy Papers Drafted

1

State-Level Roundtable

Key Features of the Fellowship

Empowering educators to conduct evidence-based advocacy, formulate policy recommendations, and lead reforms.

1. Democratic Policymaking

Establishing an active mechanism that brings frontline teachers directly to the drafting table to co-design state-level education policies.

2. Evidence-Based Research

Equipping teachers with quantitative and qualitative data collection tools to present classroom-grounded insights to administrators.

3. Advisory Board Guidance

Direct mentorship and review from an eminent advisory board comprising top global educationalists and policy experts.

4. SDG 4 Alignment

Aligning school-level interventions and policy papers directly with the UN's Sustainable Development Goal for Quality Education.

5. Capacity Building

Intensive training modules covering public policy analysis, legislative drafting, research writing, and communication strategies.

6. Institutional Mechanism

Creating a permanent and trusted bridge of communication between rural schools and high-level educational decision makers.

Eminent Advisory Board

Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar

Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar

Advisory Board Member

Former Director General of CSIR & Eminent Scientist

View Profile
Carrie Conaway

Carrie Conaway

Advisory Board Member

Senior Lecturer at Harvard Graduate School of Education

View Profile
Luisa Sparrow

Luisa Sparrow

Advisory Board Member

Massachusetts Teacher of the Year Winner 2025

View Profile
Dr. Vaibhav Jadhav

Dr. Vaibhav Jadhav

Advisory Board Member

Director (I/C) at Savitribai Phule Pune University

View Profile
Nicholas Piachaud

Nicholas Piachaud

Advisory Board Member

Director of Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships

View Profile
Yogesh Borate

Yogesh Borate

Advisory Board Member

Assistant Professor, Department of Communication and Journalism, SPPU

View Profile

Apply for the Policy Fellowship

Are you an active public school teacher in Maharashtra passionate about reform? Submit your preliminary application details below.

In your statement, please address the following:

1. Your Journey and Commitment

What professional, academic, and personal experiences have shaped your understanding of education? Describe the challenges you have witnessed or addressed in schools, communities, or education systems, and explain how these experiences have strengthened your commitment to improving education.

2. Your Vision for Change

What is the most important educational challenge you want to solve in the next 5–10 years? Describe your vision for change and the impact you hope to create for students, teachers, schools, or education systems.

3. Policy and Leadership Potential

Describe a situation where you influenced change, solved a problem, led an initiative, or advocated for improvement within your school, organization, or community. What did you learn about leadership, policy, or systems change from this experience?

4. Why This Fellowship

Why are you applying to the Teachers Policy Fellowship at this stage of your career? What knowledge, skills, networks, and experiences do you hope to gain through the fellowship, and how will they help you advance your goals?

5. Paying It Forward

How will you use the learning, relationships, and opportunities gained through this fellowship to strengthen education beyond your own classroom? Describe how you plan to contribute to a broader community of educators and education leaders.

Your statement should help us understand not only what you have accomplished, but also the impact you aspire to create in the future.

0 / 1,000 words

The length and format of your résumé or C.V. is up to your discretion. (Max file size: 5 MB. PDF, DOC, or DOCX format only)

Recommendation Letter Requirement

Applicants are required to submit one letter of recommendation from an individual who can speak to their professional competence, leadership potential, commitment to education, and impact on students or the wider school community.

The recommender should be one of the following:

  • A fellow teacher or colleague
  • Cluster Head / Centre Head (Kendrapramukh)
  • Extension Officer (Vistar Adhikari)
  • Group Education Officer (Gat Shikshan Adhikari)
  • Education Officer (Shikshan Adhikari)
  • School Principal or Head Teacher
  • Any other educational supervisor who has directly observed the applicant's work

The recommendation letter should provide specific examples of the applicant's contributions, leadership, innovation, and potential to benefit from and contribute to the Teachers Policy Fellowship.

IMPORTANT: Applicants must not draft, write, or submit their own recommendation letter. The letter must be prepared and submitted directly by the recommender. Fellowship administrators may contact recommenders for additional information or verification if required.

Max file size: 5 MB. PDF, DOC, or DOCX format only

Thank you! (धन्यवाद!)

Your fellowship application has been successfully received. Our selection committee will review your statement of purpose and get back to you shortly.

Support the Fellowship

Help us empower teachers to lead evidence-based reforms and policy advocacy across public schools.

DONATE TO QEF SEE OUR IMPACT REPORT