PROGRAM DETAILS
The National Book Foundation (NBF) Teacher Fellowship supports and celebrates 6th–12th grade teachers who use innovative methods to make reading for pleasure a part of their students’ school day experience. The NBF Teacher Fellowship aims to:
- Support classroom activities that have a direct impact on the development of students as lifelong readers
- Celebrate and highlight creative and effective models for independent reading instruction
- Connect more young people with great literature through National Book Award–honored titles
As part of the Fellowship, teachers develop or continue an initiative that promotes reading for pleasure in their classroom, incorporate National Book Award–honored titles into their curriculum, and collaborate with other Fellows through participation in a professional learning community, including an in-person convening in New York City.
To learn more about the NBF Teacher Fellowship, including expectations and resources provided, please visit the National Book Foundation website.
ELIGIBILITY
Applicant
- 6th–12th grade classroom teacher* currently working in a public school based in the United States or US territories
- Beginning their third year of teaching (or more) by the fall in which the Fellowship would start
- Able to receive sign off from supervising principal (following conditional acceptance)
*Please note: For the NBF Teacher Fellowship, a classroom teacher is defined as an individual who teaches or provides instruction for students during regular school hours.
Project
In line with the overall goals of the NBF Teacher Fellowship, proposed projects should:
- Make reading for pleasure a part of students’ school day experience
- Include classroom activities that positively impact students’ development as lifelong readers
- Model creative and effective approaches to independent reading instruction
- Connect more young people with National Book Award–honored titles, and specifically, incorporate at least one book from the corresponding year’s Longlist for Young People’s Literature into classroom curriculum.*
*Please note: The Longlist for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature is announced in early September. Thus, your application does not need to reference these yet-to-be announced titles, but should reflect the types of books that your project might incorporate and how you will create a connection to the National Book Awards for your students.
ADDITIONALLY
Activities must be offered at no financial cost to participating students.
NBF welcomes creative, innovative, and diverse approaches to engaging students with reading for pleasure during the school day; the National Book Foundation aims to support the excellent work of teachers, and therefore is not providing a prescriptive approach to projects. In your application, you should be sure to clearly explain how your project meets the overall goals of the NBF Teacher Fellowship, as outlined above, and articulate why it’s an effective approach for your students.
If you have applied in a previous year but were not selected as a Teacher Fellow, you are still eligible to reapply in any future year.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Applications will be reviewed based on the following criteria:
- Does the submitted project clearly support students in reading for pleasure?
- Does the applicant provide a clear articulation of the project’s structure, implementation, and feasibility?
- Does the project align with and support the National Book Foundation’s larger work and mission, including the goal of reaching readers who experience barriers to accessing books and reading?
- How does the individual project fit into the larger cohort in terms of representation of grade level, subject area, geographic, and other demographic diversity?
Applicants will be reviewed and recommended by an external selection committee. Final Fellow selections will be approved by a committee of the National Book Foundation Board of Directors.
TIMELINE
Wednesday, January 14, 2026 at 9:00am EST: Submittable application portal opens
Friday, February 27 at 11:59pm EST: Submittable application portal closes
May 2026: Applicants notified
August 2026: Fellowship cycle begins
May 2027: Fellowship cycle end
APPLICATION DEADLINE
A complete application, including all materials, must be received by National Book Foundation via Submittable by Friday, February 27 at 11:59pm EST. The National Book Foundation assumes no responsibility for applications not received due to user or technical error.
Questions? Please email education@nationalbook.org.