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Applications Now Open: K-5 Teacher Residency

K-5 Teacher Residency

Teach Asian American Stories is thrilled to announce that applications are now open for our pilot K-5 Teacher Residency program.

The Teach Asian American Stories (TAAS) K-5 Teacher Residency pilot program will train a small cohort of passionate K-5 educators to develop curricular projects for their respective classrooms and school districts in alignment with New Jersey’s Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) mandate. Over the course of 13 months, TAAS K-5 Residents will receive professional development, coaching and mentorship on AAPI histories and pedagogies, curriculum development, and curricular intervention. This program is supported by Dr. Karishma Desai from Rutgers University, Assistant Professor of Educational Foundations in the Department of Educational Theory, Policy, and Administration at the Rutgers-New Brunswick Graduate School of Education.

Application Requirements

This K-5 Teacher Residency is for teachers:

  • In K-5 New Jersey public schools certified in elementary education;
  • Committed to teaching Asian American and Pacific Islander narratives and histories in their classrooms; and
  • Interested in advancing their teaching practice through thirteen (13) months of professional development with experienced facilitators in this field, culminating in developing a final curricular project.

Timeline

Residents must have a flexible schedule for monthly virtual workshops, mentorship sessions, and occasional in-person meetings. The K-5 Teacher Residency has four phases:

  • Phase 1: Investigate (May – September)
    • Residents will investigate Asian American and Pacific Islander histories, narratives, and theories through a series of workshops, readings, and dialogue.
  • Phase 2: Identify (October – November)
    • Residents will identify their classroom’s needs for curricular intervention through a process of reflection, analysis, and feedback.
  • Phase 3: Innovate (December – March)
    • Residents will innovate an original design for a curricular project catered to their respective classrooms based on identified needs.
  • Phase 4: Implement (April – June)
    • Residents will implement their curricular projects by testing it out in their classrooms, collecting data, and reporting results.

Program Requirements

Residents will be required to participate in the following:

  • Workshops:
    • Wednesday, May 27th, 2026 at 5-6PM ET: Kickoff (Virtual)
    • Tuesday, June 2nd, 2026: Full-Day Intro Session w/ Dr. Karishma Desai in (In-Person in Montclair, NJ)
    • Wednesday, July 15th, 2026: Full-Day Workshop (TBD: Virtual or In-Person in Montclair, NJ)
    • Monday, August 17th & Tuesday, August 18th, 2026: Two-Day Workshop (In-Person in Montclair, NJ)
    • January 2027 (Date TBD): Full-Day Workshop (In-Person in Montclair, NJ)
    • Monthly virtual meetings/workshops from September 2026 to June 2027
  • Mentorship:
    • Monthly virtual group mentoring sessions from October 2026 to May 2027
    • As needed virtual 1:1 mentoring sessions throughout the program
  • Independent Work:
    • Assignments corresponding with each phase (i.e., teaching pedagogy, scope and sequence analysis, project proposal, drafts, project presentation, etc.) from July 2026 to June 2027
    • Final curricular project implemented by the end of May 2027
    • Final project report due by the end of June 2027

Grant Details

Residents will receive the following:

  • Year-long mentorship and professional development;
  • A stipend of $3,000, paid in five installments throughout the duration of the program;
  • A grant of up to $500 for classroom materials to be used to support the teaching of Asian American and Pacific Islander histories and narratives in your classroom;
  • A collection of foundational books on Asian American and Pacific Islander histories and scholarship for your personal and professional use; and
  • A credential on completion of the teacher residency, co-signed by Dr. Karishma Desai of Rutgers Graduate School of Education and Teach Asian American Stories, indicating that you have completed 50 hours of professional development and are endorsed as a curriculum specialist in the area of teaching AAPI histories and narratives.

Deadline to apply is Sunday, April 5th at 11:59pm.

Please reach out to sulynn.miao@aapinewjersey.org with any general questions about the program or for any accessibility needs. Learn more about Teach Asian American Stories and our work implementing New Jersey’s AAPI Curriculum Mandate at teachasianamericanstories.org.

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