Martinez Fellowship

Recruiting, developing, and empowering educators of color in Washington state

We educate for liberation.

The Martinez Fellowship program is changing the culture of education by prioritizing the personal and professional growth of educators of color. Supporting them in their journey and maximizing opportunities to increase their overall representation in Washington state. Through our programming, Fellows move beyond sustaining as educators and grow into thriving and transformational education leaders. 

Our holistic programming supports educators of color by equipping them with critical tools, resources, and community to thrive during and beyond their first years of teaching. Through our trademarked framework, Liberation Pedagogy, Fellows co-create spaces by and for BIPOC stories, experiences, and learnings that center heartwork, headwork, and community.

Our impact translates directly from educators to student experiences

0 %
FELLOW RETENTION
0
COHORTS
0
FELLOWS
0
STUDENTS IMPACTED

We prepare teachers to lead for liberation in education.

We partner with Washington state colleges and universities to provide programming, community, and resources to teacher candidates of color to become transformational educators and future leaders. Candidates must be pursuing a B.A. in education, Masters in Education, or an alternate route to certification. 

Martinez Fellows are empowered to explore and reflect on the identities that they carry and share in community with other educators and leaders of color. Through our framework, they become experts in how they can then instill and inspire their students and advocate for educational equity within their schools and districts.

Impactful and enduring benefits of becoming a Fellow include:

Beginning with our framework, Liberation Pedagogy, Fellowship content, programming, resources, and guest speakers center, amplify, and support narratives that have historically been the furthest from social justice – predominantly Black and Indigenous women. In community, Fellows process and reflect on the impacts of white supremacy culture on individual and collective lived experiences and how that manifests in the classroom.

Martinez spaces are opportunities for Fellows to model and co-conspire with fellow transformational educators and leaders of color who are passionate and ready to actualize what learning for liberation can be for both adults and children. Being a part of a community with shared experiences means Fellows always have a place where their unique challenges as educators of color are understood. Within the Fellowship, advice is offered generously, and Fellows are encouraged, professionally and emotionally, which ultimately helps them give their best selves to their students.

As Fellows, you will also have access to the full offerings of the Network for EdWork’s other programming:

  • Education EnCounter which supports the development and sustainability of BIPOC leaders
  • Ally Engagement which provides a framework for white leaders to redefine how they can create and sustain more inclusive, antiracist school environments.

Fellows also have reduced admission to our Annual Convening—a three-day annual conference created by and for BIPOC educators and leaders that centers wellness, joy, and transformative change in education.

As our Fellows mature as educators, we offer various opportunities to develop their leadership skills, including facilitating sessions and developing meaningful curricula for our seminars. Throughout their careers, Fellows are empowered to grow in their profession. This takes the form of support for Fellows as they grow in their role within their schools, pursue the National Board Teaching Certificate, support in applying for an administrative role in education, and connections and pathways to position openings at TAF partner schools in different districts!

Interested in applying? Download the Martinez Fellowship Brochure to learn more.

Watch: Maestra Jeni and "los gatitos."

Martinez Fellow Jennifer Estrada works at Hilltop Elementary in the Highline School District. Since joining the Fellowship in 2018, Jeni says she finally feels her experiences as a teacher of color are validated and now she can use what she's learned to create equitable classrooms for her students.

Join the fellowship.

First things first, check first to see if the Martinez Fellowship Program partners with your college or university. If so, reach out to the education department to get started! 

Need more information?
Contact nwew@techaccess.org

We partner with 13 select colleges and universities across Washington state. By working in tandem with our partners, Fellows receive a continuity of support — starting on campus and then beyond.

Membership to the fellowship is granted through our online application, interview, and selection process. New cohorts are inducted on an annual basis for New Fellow Orientation in June. Each cohort starts its journey with our three-day Annual Martinez Summit at the beginning of August.

OUR FELLOW COMMUNITY

Featured educators from our cohorts.

In the past three years we have had 122 Fellows begin their journey with the Fellowship. Hear why they are passionate about teaching.

OUR UNIVERSITY PARTNERS