The Martinez Fellowship was established in 2008 under Edgar and Holli Martinez’s nonprofit, the Martinez Foundation, with a mission of improving teacher diversity. In 2015, the Martinez Foundation entrusted Technology Access Foundation (TAF) to continue its efforts of diversifying the teacher population.

Currently, we have over 180 Martinez Fellows working in school districts and positively influencing more than 16,000 students from some of the most diverse and high-needs schools in Washington State public schools.

TAF is committed to improving teacher diversity and retaining teachers of color in their profession. TAF does this by providing Fellows with the opportunity to network and collaborate with other teachers of color in a trusted community, along with providing high quality professional development designed to complement their university instruction and other district or state supports.

As a member of the Martinez Fellowship Program, you have access to an array of resources and benefits including:

The Martinez Fellowship is designed for graduate teachers of color. TAF partners with various Washington State college and university programs to source the next cohorts of Martinez Fellows.

For directions to apply, view our How to Become a Fellow PDF.

As our group of Martinez Fellows has matured as educators, so have their needs. We noticed that our teachers, particularly those who have taught for a number of years, are grappling with how to effect broader change in our system. 

With the Martinez Fellowship Program is on the path to developing a new effort that will target and support all rising education leaders of color in WA State, we decided to expand our programming to include all education leaders of color across Washington state. We believe that as education leadership becomes stronger and more diverse, we will see an improvement in the retention of teachers of color, as well as in the outcomes we realize with students.

Through our education leaders of color program, we relentlessly support the development and sustainability of leaders of color in education to dismantle unjust practices and structures in educational settings, in partnership with school, university, and community organizations and entities. We have created a safe space where leaders of color convene to build trust through shared experiences, advice, encouragement, and mentorship.