Eligibility

Community members who are currently living and working in the TFA Appalachia service region are eligible to apply to the Lab.  

Make it stand out

We are dedicated to building Lab cohorts that represent the richness of communities we serve — across perspectives, experiences, identities, geographies, and industries. If you are a person of color, from a low-income background, and/or a first generation college graduate, you are especially encouraged to apply.

If you are…

  • equipped with a vision for how you uniquely contribute toward our north star goal in the region

  • deeply committed to place, staying proximate to regional issues and opportunities and grounded in hope for what is possible

  • an emerging-to-early systems change leader (with ~8-15 years of experience in a field aligned to our north star goal)

  • professionally ready to exchange expertise and experience with a cohort of like-hearted, but not necessarily like-minded, professionals across sectors

  • able to anticipate and articulate your own specific leadership development needs

  • comfortable continuously challenging and expanding your understanding of regional assets and barriers

  • ready to mobilize when magic yields collaboration potential in the space between borders in disciplines, geographies, and lived experiences…

 

And you are in the right season of life to be able to…

  • travel three times per year, on weekends, to communities across our four-state region

  • attend virtual monthly calls with other Lab members

  • meaningfully engage with a leadership coach at least every other month

  • show up to these spaces energized and engaged within a cohort-based learning model

this program may be a perfect fit for you.

 

Eligibility Details

Anyone who currently lives and works in the TFA Appalachia service region (and is committed to doing so for the next three years) is eligible to apply to the Lab, with the following exceptions:

  • Individuals who have donated over $5,000 in this fiscal year to Teach For America

  • Teach For America employees

  • Current Teach For America Appalachia Mountain Teacher Fellows who have not yet completed their MTF term

Click on the plus icons below to read more about eligibility and expectations of CALL members.

  • There is no preferred career path, sector, or industry for accepted members. As part of our systems change orientation, we believe that issues of economic mobility and futures of possibility for youth are not just issues of education. Having members whose days jobs are centered both in and outside of education is a critical component of the program. Historically, Lab members have come from the following professional backgrounds:  

    • K-12 education 

    • Higher education 

    • Non-profit leadership  

    • Economic development 

    • Workforce development 

    • Community development 

    • Policy & advocacy 

    • Healthcare 

    • Arts & culture  

  • A mix of members from our TFA Appalachia team and CALL program alumni will review applications, aiming to build a cohort representing rich and robust diversity across identities, professional experiences, skillsets, perspectives, and strengths. This group will be looking for evidence of experience relevant to the pursuit of our north star goal, in addition to the eligibility criteria and personal mindsets/orientations detailed above.  Please pay particular attention to the bullet points that will help you consider whether this is the right season of life to leverage the CALL program as a three-year experience. 

  • This program is designed to support emerging-to-early-systems-change leaders. This means that there is a ‘sweet spot’ of professional experience that best positions an applicant for being able to take advantage of what the Lab offers.  

    We find that most members have between 8-15 years of professional experience in fields aligned to our north star goals. While not considered a hard-and-fast requirement for application, these parameters usually ensure that Lab members are at the right professional spot for maximizing engagement with the program offerings.