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Apply to TIP

Teachers Institute of Philadelphia > Participate > Apply to TIP

Applications available now for spring 2024 TIP seminars. The deadline is Tuesday, October 24, 2023 at midnight.
Read the information below carefully to determine whether TIP is right for you. Descriptions of our spring 2024 seminars are here.
The application form is below.

Who is eligible

Full-time K-12 teachers from non-charter schools in the School District of Philadelphia

Who is not eligible

  • Teachers who plan to leave the School District of Philadelphia due to retirement or for other reasons by the following September after the seminar sessions. Fellows must be able to teach the curriculum unit they write in TIP in the SDP in the school year following the seminar.
  • Teachers from charter, private, or parochial schools.

Responsibilities of the Fellows

The TIP program offers Fellows many benefits, including the opportunity to learn with a renowned university scholar and the chance to exchange ideas and build a collaborative relationship with colleagues throughout the District. Benefits also include a $1,500 stipend to offset the costs of attending (e.g. childcare, books and materials) and 30 Act 48 credits. To receive these benefits, Fellows must engage in rigorous study and write a curriculum unit (typically 15-30 pages in length) that they can use in their classroom. Before applying to the program, teachers should consider carefully whether they are able fulfill these responsibilities. The following are the specific requirements for completing the TIP program:

  1. Complete all required readings (usually two hours or more each week) and come prepared for each weekly session.
  2. Participate in the lively exchange of ideas focused on the required reading.
  3. Write a curriculum unit that meets program guidelines.
  4. Revise and rewrite as needed to meet the standards set by the Seminar Leader.
  5. Schedule individual meetings with the seminar leader to discuss each draft of the unit.
  6. At the conclusion of the program, complete a detailed written evaluation of the TIP experience.
  7. Implement the curriculum unit developed in the seminar program during the year following the seminar.

TIP Calendar

TIP’s application process has two parts. Preliminary applications will be due October 24; second round November 21. We will notify applicants whether they have been accepted in December 2023. Seminar meetings will begin in mid-January 2024 and continue through mid-May, excluding spring recess and school or university holidays. Curriculum units must be completed by the end of June.

Completing a TIP Application

First round applications determine eligibility and will be due Tuesday, October 24 at midnight. Applicants who are deemed eligible will be invited to fill out the second, more detailed form.

The first part asks for the following:

  • Contact information.
  • The candidate’s current teaching role and teaching history.
  • The candidate’s choice of seminars. Each candidate will be required to select a first- and second-choice seminar. Seminars are interdisciplinary, so a candidate may select one that does not coincide precisely with their teaching area.

Those invited to complete a second-round application will have the opportunity to explain how they would apply the material from each seminar to their teaching. We will also ask teachers to obtain their principal’s signature on an approval form, certifying that their proposed topic is in accordance with both the curriculum of the School District and program of the individual school.

Applications will be evaluated by a committee consisting of teacher representatives and TIP’s Director.

Apply here