Teacher Leaders for Native Futures: National Native-Serving Educator Fellowship
The Teacher Leaders for Native Futures: National Native-serving Educator Fellowship (TLNF Fellowship) is a 12-month, hybrid professional learning experience offered by the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) in partnership with the Institute for Native-serving Educators (INE) at Northern Arizona University.
Designed for K-12 educators, the Fellowship supports teachers in deepening their leadership grounded in Indigenous knowledge systems, strengthening their culturally responsive practice, and building relationships within a national cohort of Native-serving educators. TLNF extends and builds upon learning from prior teacher preparation (pre-service) or professional development (in-service) programs emphasizing Native American/Indigenous contexts.
Throughout the Fellowship, participants engage in collaborative learning, mentorship, and leadership development that culminate in a classroom- or community-based impact project. These projects are shared publicly to support and inspire other educators working with Native students and communities.
Eligibility Requirements
1) Must have previously participated in a teacher preparation (pre-service) or professional development (in-service) program that emphasized Native American/Indigenous contexts in the preparation and training of teachers.
2) Must be a full-time, fully certified K -12 teacher in a grant, BIE, or public school within the United States.
3) Must be willing to pair your educator experience and expertise with new content knowledge and leadership skills to develop and write a culturally sustaining and responsive impact project to implement your specific context.
4) Must have the ability to attend ALL in-person and online meetings.
Fellow Commitments
Accepted educators must commit to:
1) Attend: virtual orientation at NAU’s 2026 AIITEC, 10 online national community-of-practice (NCOP) sessions, 10 monthly fellow meetings, 2 in-person conferences (NIEA 2026 Educator Day & Convention and NAU’s 2027 AIITEC),
2) Complete a written impact project, and
3) Present on impact project during NAU’s 2027 AIITEC at conclusion of fellowship.
Participation Incentives
Educators who successfully complete the Fellowship will receive:
1) Certificate of Completion (up to 65 seat hours)
2) A program scholarship covering the majority of in-person participation costs such as airfare, meal per diem, lodging, conference registrations, and one annual NIEA membership.
3) $1,500 Stipend paid to educator at the end of the fellowship. The stipend is to help offset any remaining expenses not covered by the program scholarship.