Donate

National Leadership Program

Teach For Armenia

A Teach For Armenia Teacher Leader working with students in a classroom.

Developing an Army of Teacher Leaders

We start where transformation always begins: in the classroom. The Armenia Education Initiative's (AEI) flagship National Leadership Program is a two-year fellowship that recruits Armenia's most committed, apt, and patriotic talent (both local and diaspora) to teach in high-need communities. But this is not your typical teaching program; it’s a life-changing experience in leadership and nation-building.

What we look for

Highly motivated graduates and young professionals who refuse to accept the status quo. We seek those with the resolve to lead and the heart to serve. Our Teacher Leaders come from diverse backgrounds: engineers, artists, scientists, new graduates, career-changers. What unites them? A shared conviction that education can change the world, and that they personally can drive that change.

Training & Support

  • 01

    Pre-Service Training

    A five-week virtual program building foundational skills in lesson planning and classroom management, and internalizing our vision for educational justice.

  • 02

    Teacher Leadership Academy

    A seven-week intensive summer training blending global best practices with local context. Participants learn our Leadership Framework, which marries excellent teaching practice with adaptive leadership skills, and practice-teach in summer school classrooms. At the end of the training, Teacher Leaders receive a 30-credits teaching certification granting them the opportunity to teaching at schools.

  • 03

    Classroom Placement

    Two years teaching in a high-need public school, often in rural villages or towns that lack resources. Teacher Leaders teach full-time, igniting critical thinking, confidence, and hope in children who have often been told to dream small.

  • 04

    Ongoing Coaching

    Every Teacher Leader is paired with a dedicated Leadership Development Manager who observes, mentors, and provides real-time feedback against our Leadership Framework.

  • 05

    Professional Development Gatherings

    Quarterly regional and national summits structured around the evolving needs of our Fellows, from project-based learning workshops to community engagement forums to burnout prevention retreats.

  • 06

    Change-Based Learning & Innovation Projects

    Students identify a problem in their community, design a project to tackle it, and pitch for micro-grant funding. We've seen 4th graders launch recycling initiatives and teens start coding clubs. In year two, teachers who mentored successful student projects can access larger grants to scale those ideas community-wide. This in-house innovation pipeline connects directly to Spark once individuals become alumni of an AEI program.

  • 07

    Academics & Credentials

    Selected Teacher Leaders without a teaching degree also have the opportunity to earn a fully funded Master's in Teacher Leadership during the program, in partnership with Yerevan State University, graduating as licensed, graduate-level educators. All Teacher Leaders complete ongoing coursework and certification modules throughout the Fellowship. We're not plugging warm bodies into classrooms; we're forging skilled professionals with globally benchmarked training.

The Program Experience

Teaching in under-resourced communities is challenging (e.g. multi-grade classrooms, scant supplies, students who've faced hardship). Our Teacher Leaders approach these as opportunities. Over two years they grow into resilient leaders who motivate kids against the odds, rally parents and communities around education, and deliver academic growth that defies expectations. Living and working in these communities gives them a deep understanding of the systemic barriers their students face, insight that drives them to fight for change long after the fellowship. It's a dual investment: in the students taught today and in the leaders being shaped for tomorrow.

Impact in the Classroom

Our Teacher Leaders annually reach over 20,000 students. Independent assessments and our own evaluations show clear gains: improved literacy and math outcomes, higher graduation rates in some villages, and, equally important if less quantifiable, a surge in student confidence, ambition, and well-being. Asked "What do you want to be when you grow up?", children who once shrugged now answer "doctor," "engineer," "teacher," "why not Prime Minister?"

Beyond the Two Years

Our Teacher Leaders become Alumni-Ambassadors and the beating heart of our long-term impact. Many continue teaching or take leadership roles in schools; others pursue careers in public service, policy, or launch education ventures. Some join our staff or coach the next cohorts. Through Teach For All they connect with 70,000+ alumni in 60 countries, swapping ideas from Argentina to India and bringing international innovations home. We now have Alumni-Ambassadors serving as school principals, nonprofit leaders, ed-tech founders, and government advisors.

Call to Action: Be a Teacher Leader

Are you ready to lead from the front lines of change? Apply to Teach For Armenia and join a cohort of daring, driven leaders rebuilding the nation one classroom at a time. This is not a teaching job; it's a fellowship in courage and impact. Lead a classroom today, lead the country tomorrow.

Apply Now