International

Most international teaching fellowships are opportunities to teach English. Note that there are fellowships open to citizens of any nationality, and proficiency in the host country’s language is not always a requirement.

Fulbright U.S. Student Program English Teaching Assistantships

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers English Teaching Assistantships (ETAs) in countries all over the world. Assignments vary by country: you could be an assistant or a lead teacher, instructing age groups ranging from elementary school to university level and beyond, placed in rural or urban areas. The best way to start exploring is to check out the Fulbright website and see what assignments might line up with your interests and language proficiency.  The core mission of the Fulbright program is to promote mutual cultural understanding: could you be one of our next citizen ambassador ETAs?

Application deadline: Wellesley’s campus deadline usually falls in August, and the national deadline in early October. See our resource for more detail.
Eligibility: U.S. citizens who are rising seniors or graduates in any field or major.

Elisabeth Luce Moore ’24 Wellesley-Yenching Fellowships

Two of the three assignments for the Wellesley-Yenching Fellowship are teaching posts (the third assignment as at the National Palace Museum in Taipei): at Ginling College in Nanjing, China and at Chung Chi College in Hong Kong. At Ginling College, fellows teach English in the classroom for approximately 12 to 14 hours each week; at Chung Chi College, the fellows time may be divided between helping organize and promote English language activities at the college and serving as a teaching assistant for their English department. Both fellowships come with the opportunity to renew for a second year, so the availability of open posts varies year to year. Wellesley covers the costs for TEFL certification and assists in the visa process.

Application deadline: Apply directly through Wellesley in February.
Eligibility: Seniors and graduates in any field or major, and of any nationality.

English Program in Korea (EPIK)

The English Program in Korea (EPIK), affiliated to the Korean Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, was established in 1995 to improve the English speaking abilities of students and teachers in Korea, to develop cultural exchanges and reform English teaching methodologies in Korea.

Application deadlines: There is no set deadline for this program; if applying to start in the spring term, begin applying in August, and for fall term, begin applying in February.
Eligibility: Rising seniors and graduates who are citizens of Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, or South Africa (see website for additional allowances); TEFL certification OR teaching licensure in any field required.

Asian University for Women (AUW) Teaching Fellowship

In light of looming uncertainties around the future of women’s education in Afghanistan, AUW aims to provide 500 new students from Afghanistan with a clear and fully funded path towards a university degree in the next several years.  By empowering 500 young women with the opportunity, leadership development, and academic training to enact their own visions, AUW believes this cohort will form a critical base for a future Afghanistan that will recognize women’s rights fully. 

The AUW Teaching Fellows program invites recent college graduates to partake in a one-year fellowship to teach English, math, or computer science to students in the Pre-Undergraduate Programs at AUW. The program hopes to recruit seniors and recent graduates with strong academic and extracurricular records, who have a passion for women's education and equity, and who have an interest in learning about other cultures.

Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program (JET)

Each year the JET Programme, with the aid of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, recruits around two thousand new JET participants to come to Japan and work as either Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) who provide language instruction in elementary, junior and senior high schools, Coordinators for International Relations (CIRs) who work in communities on international exchange activities, or Sports Exchange Advisors (SEAs) who promote international exchange through sports.

*Did you know? Majesty Zander '21 won JET to be a Coordinator for International Relations in 2022 and had a great experience!

Application deadline: Late November to early December annually (deadlines vary by country).
Eligibility: If applying through the Japanese embassy in the United States, U.S. nationals with a functional command of Japanese, who have not lived in Japan for six or more years in total in the decade before application are eligible. (Many nationalities are eligible: international applicants must go through the Japanese embassy in their own countries to apply.)

French Government English Teaching Assistantships (TAPiF)

The French Ministry of Education offers the opportunity to work in France, teaching English to French students of all ages. Each year, assistants teach in public schools across all regions of metropolitan France and in the overseas departments of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion.

*Did you know? Lots of Wellesley grads have enjoyed doing TAPiF, including Hannah Stiles ’18 in 2018-19, and Samantha Thomas '18 in 2021-22!

Application deadline: Early January.
Eligibility: Seniors and graduates who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and are proficient in French.

North American Language and Culture Assistants in Spain

Positions are available in K-12 schools throughout Spain for the academic year, to help to increase Spanish students' knowledge of English or French and North American culture.

*Did you know? Lots of Wellesley grads have enjoyed doing NALCAP, including Ivana Castro ’18 and Andrea Leon ’18 were North American Language and Culture Assistants in 2018-19!

Application deadline: Early to mid-April.
Eligibility: Seniors and recent graduates who are Canadian or American native speakers of French or English and who have intermediate-level Spanish; previous teaching experience or experience living abroad may be an advantage.

Princeton in Asia

Princeton in Asia (PiA) offers service-oriented fellowships in the fields of education, media/journalism, international development (NGOs) and business, with a majority of fellows working as English teachers at universities and high schools.

*Did you know? Tina Xu ’18 was a PiA awardee in 2018 and Udita Bajaj '22 was one in 2024!

Application deadline: Early November.
Eligibility: Seniors and recent graduates; U.S. citizenship not required.

U.S. Teaching Assistantships at Austrian Secondary Schools

Each year, more than 140 college graduates from the United States teach in Austria under the auspices of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education (BMB) Foreign Language Teaching Assistantship Program. The purpose of this program is to bring talented and enthusiastic young people from abroad into the classrooms of secondary schools in communities large and small all over Austria. Ultimately, it is the job of these native speakers as teaching assistants to make learning a foreign language a lively cross-cultural encounter for their students.

*Did you know? Emily Moore ’18 was a U.S. Teaching Assistant in 2018-19!

Application deadline: Early January.
Eligibility: Seniors and graduates who are U.S. citizens, ideally interested in education or public service; working knowledge of German is required.

U.S.-Based

Urban Teachers Fellowship

This program prepares, certifies, and supports new educators to be highly effective so they can provide high-quality education for children by offering a master’s degree, coaching, mentoring, and job placement. Teachers who finish the program are committed to excellence, equity, and inclusivity, and have the skills and confidence to build lasting, fulfilling careers.

Application deadline: There are several deadlines throughout the academic year; see the website for additional details.
Eligibility: Graduating seniors and alumnae with at least a 2.5 GPA and are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. 

Knowles Teacher Initiative STEM Teaching Fellowship

The Knowles Teacher Initiative awards approximately 35 Fellowships each year to early-career high school science and mathematics teachers. Through their signature program, they support their Fellows in their efforts to develop teaching expertise and lead from the classroom. Throughout the five-year program, Knowles Teaching Fellows receive mentoring and coaching from a staff of experienced teachers and teacher educators, financial support, and membership in a nationwide community of more than 300 STEM educators.

Application deadline: Early to mid-January.
Eligibility: Graduating seniors and alumnae who have earned a degree in a STEM related major they intend to teach between 2011 and September 1, 2021; have earned or will earn a valid state teaching credentials that enables them to teach mathematics or science in grades 9–12 in the United States no earlier than January 1, 2016 and no later than September 1, 2021; and will be entering their first or second year as teacher of record during the 2021–2022 academic year.

Mississippi Teacher Corps

The Mississippi Teacher Corps (MTC) selects exceptional college graduates to teach in high-poverty public schools in Mississippi. Each year, MTC accepts between 25-35 candidates. Due to the size of the program, MTC can offer individualized support. All participants move as a cohort through each stage of the training and coursework.

Application deadline: Early admittance deadline is in early November; final application deadline is in mid-April.
Eligibility: Graduating seniors from any majors except education from any country with significant coursework in math, science, English, or social studies; minimum GPA 3.0.

AmeriCorps

AmeriCorps is a network of national service programs that offer a variety of service opportunities where members address critical community needs like increasing academic achievement, mentoring youth, fighting poverty, serving nonprofit organizations, maintaining national parks, and preparing for disasters. AmeriCorps members serve in nearly 12,000 schools, including 1 out of every 4 low-performing schools and 1 out of every 10 charter schools, building capacity in communities across America. Students interested in education should consider the following AmeriCorps programs: 

• AmeriCorps VISTA: AmeriCorps VISTA members engage in community-based work to address poverty, inequity, homelessness, and lack of access to education. VISTA members help to build the capacity of organizations that are working to alleviate poverty all across the country. As a VISTA member you will serve in a project identified and managed by the community while earning a modest living allowance that reflects the income level of the community where you're serving. AmeriCorps VISTA funds 8,000 positions each year.

• AmeriCorps State and National: this program funds local and national organizations to recruit AmeriCorps members. Once matched with a participating nonprofit organization, AmeriCorps members can then work on community-oriented projects. One focus area of AmeriCorps State and National is Education, enabling members to work in schools, support afterschool and enrichment programs, mentor and tutor youths and much more. AmeriCorps State and National funds 65,000 positions each year.

Students interested in all AmeriCorps programs can search for and apply to opportunities through the AmeriCorps Advanced Listing Search.

Application Deadline: deadline for AmeriCorps program vary widely depending on member role, program type, and host site. The AmeriCorps Advanced Listing Search will include deadlines for each opportunity.

Eligibility: eligibility for AmeriCorps can vary depending on program, but most programs require applicants to be at least 18 years old. All programs also require applicants to pass a criminal background check and hold one of the following citizenship statuses: US citizen, US National, Lawful Permanent Resident Aliens.

Teach for America

As a Teach For America corps member, you’ll be part of a broad and diverse coalition working in community to expand opportunity for America’s students, while gaining invaluable leadership experience that will fuel your career. Our organization is open to all majors, and we seek to recruit mission-aligned leaders who prioritize community partnership and long-term investment in the intersectional work toward educational equity.

Application deadline: Late March.
Eligibility: Rising seniors and graduates who have U.S. work authorization and at least a 2.75 GPA.

Boston Teacher Residency

Boston Teacher Residency, an AmeriCorps program, is a nationally recognized clinical teacher preparation program whose graduates support student achievement from day one and who stay in teaching, continuing to refine and improve their practice.

Created in 2002 as a joint initiative between the Boston Public Schools and Boston Plan for Excellence, BTR was designed to meet the evolving needs of Boston’s children and families, and it has since prepared a diverse group of over 600 teachers in high need areas such as math, science and special education.

Application deadline: Early November.
Eligibility: Rising seniors and graduates who are U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents.

Other Great Resources

• Wellesley College’s Department of Education offers a wealth of courses, a major, a minor, teaching licensure, and more
• Wellesley Career Education offers resources and advising for students and graduates interested in careers in Education, Nonprofit, and Social Impact
• James Madison Fellowship and other scholarships for graduate and professional study
• Oberlin College’s Teaching Fellow and Post-Graduate Internship Experiences listings
• University of Washington Teaching English Abroad resource

Cool list… but where do I start?

• Explore!
  We know it can be overwhelming to even start the search to see what’s out there, but try approaching your exploration as a way to uncover amazing possibilities. What sparks your interest? Are there any countries where you’ve always wanted to live? Give yourself the benefit of the doubt to see what’s out there!
   
• Finding a good fit
  What opportunities might be a good fit for you? Start lining up your interests, strengths, and skills with program requirements and preferences.
   
• Make an appointment—or drop in to pop-ups!
  You don’t have to go through this process on your own! The Fellowships team is here for you no matter where you are in the process—even and especially if you have no idea where to start or what questions to ask (that’s actually a great place to start!). Make a virtual appointment or drop by our Virtual Pop-ups (event listings in Handshake). We can help with program questions, application strategy, draft review, building your timelines, etc.

Things to Keep in Mind

Pursuing a teaching fellowship does not necessarily mean you want to be a career teacher:
Teaching fellowships aren’t just for future full-time teachers. People pursue teaching fellowships for lots of reasons—for example, some recent grads take the opportunity to teach before medical school, because good communication skills and cultural fluency are invaluable to future doctors. Teaching is a great way to learn amazing, transferrable skills!

You don’t have to have a ten-year plan either!
We know that sometimes it can feel like everyone around you has a plan for the year—or several years!—after graduation, but in fact, many people don’t know what they’ll be doing. You don’t have to have a detailed life-plan in order to put together a compelling fellowship application. 

Transferrable experience for teaching doesn’t have to have been in a classroom.
Were you a First Year Mentor? A camp counselor? A peer tutor? Part of a campus organization? There are lots of skills and strengths that can transfer into a classroom. Even if you’ve never taught in front of a classroom before, you may still be a great candidate for a teaching fellowship.