Frequently Asked Questions
Q: WHAT CAN I TEACH?A: Any subject you’re passionate and excited about Explore what other Citizen Teachers have taught Citizen Teachers have taught everything from robotics to the science of cooking to law and government. We have a library of curriculum to help you hit the ground running and make your own. The best way to decide what to teach is to see what others have taught. We invite you to explore our What Will You Teach pages, where we feature some of our most outstanding apprenticeships. |
Q: WHO WILL I BE TEACHING?A: 12 to 15 middle school students.Your students will range in age from 9 to 14 and may be in the 6th, 7th or 8th grade. Citizen Schools works in some of the most challenging middle schools in the country. In most cases, these schools are located in economically struggling communities and many of our students are on free or reduced lunch. Our students also come from diverse backgrounds, including many immigrant families and students who speak english as a second language. You can expect to be working with students whose level of skill and understanding can vary. |
Q: WHAT IS THE TIME COMMITMENT?A: 90 minutes per week for 3 months See the full timeline We ask our Citizen Teachers to make a significant time commitment because we believe that’s the only way to make a significant impact. Apprenticeships last for 10 weeks and depending on the location, are taught on either Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday and begin between 3pm and 4:30pm. You can teach in the fall or spring semester. In addition to your time in the class, you can also expect to spend 3 hours in training before your apprenticeship begins. During the apprenticeship, you should plan to collaborate closely with your staff partner and work together to plan effective lessons ahead of time. |
Q: WHERE CAN I TEACH?A: California, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York & Texas Explore Our Locations We currently run our program in the seven states above. Below are the specific locations for each state:
Please click on the map to the right for more detailed information. |
Q: WHAT ARE MY RESOURCES?A: A staff member will be with you every step of the way Watch a video about working with a staff partner Whether it’s developing lesson plans, working with middle school students or just finding a sympathetic ear, you’ll be supported from start to finish in your apprenticeship. This includes:
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Q: CAN I TEACH WITH OTHERS?A: Absolutey!Many of our apprenticeships are taught by teams of Citizen Teachers, usually co-workers or friends. In fact, we’ve found that apprenticeships led by teams of between two and five people teach higher quality apprenticeships, so we encourage you to find others to teach with. |
Q: WHAT KIND OF IMPACT WILL I HAVE?A: A real and lasting impact Our students outperform their peers As you can see from the chart to the right, students who participated in Citizen Schools’ top performing program achieved better results than their peers in state exams, and we’ve seen similar results across the country. An independant study also showed that students who participate in our program are more likely to:
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