A portfolio of three external facing professional development programs, the Indiana Educator Fellowships are led by Indianapolis-based school network, The Oaks Academy. In partnership with Ed Choice, the School Leader Fellowship (SLF) launched in 2017 as the first arm of IEF. Rooted in the spirit of unity and in the belief that the concept of “our students” transcends the confines of our own hallways, classrooms, and school walls, SLF earnestly assumed a mission of informing, inspiring, and connecting educators so that their schools flourish.

Four years later, Early Learning Indiana extended the opportunity to add a second arm to IEF designed with the directors of Early Education centers in mind: the Early Education Director Fellowship (EEDF). While SLF has assumed a national reach and virtual format, EEDF welcomed directors from Central Indiana in-person for 2 classes in 2021 and 2022. In 2023, with the hope of broadening reach and community, EEDF has transitioned to a 6-part Collaborative Workshop series open to all Central Indiana early childhood educators.

Also in 2022, we launched a third arm to IEF, the Teacher Renewal Fellowship (TRF). Assuming a hybrid-approach, TRF gathered teachers, in-person and virtually, from SLF alumni schools to share lessons in the importance of atmosphere, student engagement, relationship formation, and intrinsic motivation. TRF is designed to afford teachers an experience aimed at refreshing and renewing their love and passion for their profession.

In 2024, as an extension of TRF and SLF, The Oaks Educator Experience (OEE) was launched. This is a day and a half long, immersive experience, designed for educators, from and beyond the state of Indiana, who are interested in learning more about how The Oaks Academy values and educational philosophy live out in practice.