Fellowships

Innovation School Fellowship

The Mind Trust created the Innovation School Fellowship in 2014 in partnership with Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) and the Mayor’s Office of Education Innovation to launch Innovation Network Schools within Indy’s largest district. Fellows have the unprecedented opportunity to launch schools that have the freedoms and flexibilities of charter schools and the financial support and services of a district school, including a school building at little to no cost.

The application for the next cohort of Innovation School Fellows is now open! Click here to begin your application.

Support & Resources

Innovation School Fellows are paid one or two full years of a competitive salary with healthcare and benefits. Additionally, Fellows access a wide variety of supports, expertise, and trainings, including:

• Continuous, high-quality professional development and trainings for the Fellow, which could also potentially extend to founding school team members;
• Personalized coaching and support from a network of educational and executive leaders;
• Collaboration with a cohort of talented education leaders with similar goals and diverse backgrounds;
• Opportunities to travel and engage with leaders at some of the nation’s best innovative schools; and
• Extensive expertise and feedback on the school design and building process from a team responsible for supporting the launch of 38 public schools in Indianapolis.

Great Leaders, Great Schools

The Mind Trust believes it takes exceptional school leaders to design and build schools that serve all students well. Thus, we choose Fellows who exhibit:

• Experience managing teams of adults to achieve outstanding results for students;
• An ambitious, laser-like focus on academic achievement for all students;
• A dedication to equity and its impact on students, communities, teachers, and governance;
• An entrepreneurial drive that communicates resilience, fortitude, and visionary solutions for intractable challenges; and
• A research-grounded model with a clear mission and vision that will motivate stakeholders.

Application & Selection

Innovation School Fellows
The Mind Trust seeks highly effective leaders, teachers, and charter operators with a proven track record of success and an entrepreneurial mindset. View our past fellows and their school models to see what experience our Fellows brought to the Fellowship and what innovations their school models feature.