TIP’s virtual Open House will be held on Thursday, October 14, 2021, 5-6PM. Email teachersinstitute@sas.upenn.edu to RSVP to attend.
Note: TIP will follow University and School District COVID-19 restrictions during the spring of 2022. Seminars will likely combine in-person and online meetings. Please read the following guidelines carefully; a link to the application 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 15-20 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:
- Do all required readings (usually two hours or more each week) and come prepared for each weekly session.
- Participate in the lively exchange of ideas focused around the required reading.
- Write a curriculum unit that meets program guidelines
- Revise and rewrite as needed to meet the standards set by the Seminar Leader.
- Schedule individual meetings with the Seminar Leader to discuss each draft of the unit
- At the conclusion of the program, complete a detailed written evaluation of the TIP experience.
- Implement the curriculum unit developed in the seminar program during the year following the seminar.
- Present their unit to colleagues at peer network events and conferences.
TIP Calendar
Preliminary applications will be due Monday, November 1, 2021. Those deemed eligible will be invited to complete a second, narrative application. We will notify applicants whether they have been accepted in December, 2021. The accepted Fellows will gather for a large group orientation and reception in mid-January 2022. Teachers will meet as a group with their Seminar Leader to discuss the procedures, expectations, and overall direction of the seminar, as well as the readings they have been assigned. Seminar meetings will continue through mid-December.
Completing a TIP Application
Teachers will complete an online form in which they provide information about their teaching history and select the seminars they would like to take. The seminars should provide the teacher with knowledge that can help fill a gap in student learning or cover a District academic requirement. Seminars are interdisciplinary, so it is not necessary to choose one that coincides directly with a teacher’s subject area. A seminar on statistics, for example, might be relevant to both a math and a social studies teacher; a seminar in the arts might provide inspiration for a unit of study on writing or history. The application will ask teachers to describe in detail their potential curriculum unit topic and explain how it is relevant to their teaching. We will also ask teachers to obtain their principal’s signature on an approval form, certifying that the proposed topic is in accordance with both the curriculum of the School District and program of the individual school.
Applications will be processed and evaluated by a committee consisting of teacher representatives and TIP’s Director.