Wisconsin Civics Fellows Network
Applications are now closed for Wisconsin Civics Fellows Network.
Please note that you can only access this application one time. To ensure that you know all the questions before hand, please use this PDF of the application to review your responses before you go into the application. It's a short application that asks for subjects and grades that you teach, professional memberships, relevant experience in and out of the classroom, and skills you bring to this position.
Purpose
The Wisconsin Civics Fellows is a program coordinated by the Department of Public Instruction and the Cooperative Educational Service Agencies (CESAs) to facilitate high quality professional development related to Civic Education across the state. The Civics Fellows will represent the different geographic regions of Wisconsin (fellows will come from all CESAs) and be current classroom teachers with an expertise and interest in civic education. Fellows will engage in a “train-the-trainer” model by becoming experts in the newly created Civic Education scope and sequence, well versed in the best practices for civic education, and familiar with a broad array of freely available resources from trusted civic education partners.
Between Spring of 2023 and the end of the 2023-2024 school year, this cohort of Civics Fellows will engage in professional learning around the new scope and sequence, curate open educational resources, and carry out professional learning/development training within their CESA, and possibly statewide. The measurable outcome of this program will be that the Civics Fellows reach 500-750 teachers located in all CESA regions of the state by conducting 2-3 hours of training each (note these numbers may be amended if necessary).
Timeline for applications:
March 17, 2023: Application period closes
March 31, 2023: Applicants are notified
April 12, 2023 (W) 6:30 - 8pm - Civics Fellows Kickoff
Mid-April through end of May, 2023: Asynchronous professional learning & initial content creation
June, 2023: Content creation and curation
July-August, 2023: Working with their CESA partners, Fellows create tailored training modules (including slide decks, handouts, activities)
August, 2023-Beyond: Fellows facilitate 3 virtual and/or in-person trainings with CESA partners. Select fellows will apply to present at key conferences (WCSS, WRSA, WEMTA)
Selection Criteria
To be selected as a Fellow, the applicant will:
- Be an active K-12 educator with experience teaching Social Studies (Civics preferred - particularly at the secondary level)
- Demonstrate excellence in classroom teaching, and a desire to train other educators
- Have at least five years of classroom experience (preferred)
- Represent all 12 CESAs
- Demonstrate a desire to be lifelong learners – through professional activities, associations, and/or district or regional leadership
- Engage in ongoing professional learning by attending at least 4 in-person or online workshops during the 2023-2024 school year
- Be willing to facilitate both in-person and virtual professional learning programs
- Be comfortable speaking and working with CESA partners, classroom teachers at all levels (elementary, middle, and high school), and education leaders including school and district administrators and DPI personnel.
Duties of Civics Fellows
Note that the work of the Civics Fellows will be after school hours and weekends. The expectation is that it will be outside of school hours to avoid conflict of interest with your district.
Civics Fellows will:
- Facilitate professional development centered on the Wisconsin Civics scope and sequence (both in-person and virtual). This may include DPI related offerings like “Bootcamp” or presentations at related conferences
- Co-create materials for professional development training (Fellows, CESA partners, and DPI staff/designees)
- Separate materials and training opportunities will be created for Elementary, MS, and HS (with some overlap)
- Work with their own CESA partner to develop a regional civics education plan
- Curate high-quality, open educational resources (available from approved and trusted organizations) and upload/update in WISELearn
- Meet quarterly to plan, reflect upon and revise the scope and execution of this project
- Help maintain a calendar of available Civic Education opportunities and trainings (primarily free opportunities – can be in-person or virtual)
- Attend/engage in professional learning sessions
- Report on measurable statistics on a quarterly basis (attendees, hours, resources used, etc)
- Complete an exit or continuation interview by June 30, 2024
Compensation
Compensation for fiscal year 2023 (from March to June 30, 2023) will be $2,000.
Compensation for fiscal year 2024 (from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024) will be $5,000.
Questions?
Questions can be directed to WI DPI Social Studies consultant Kris McDaniel at kristen.mcdaniel@dpi.wi.gov