The future of education starts with our youth.

We’re looking for corporate partners to sponsor our Early Educator Fellowship––a program for K-5 teachers to gain the skills needed in shaping our youngest students to be problem-solvers and difference-makers.

Solving humanity’s most challenging problems with the help of Kindergartners.

Startland Education’s Early Educator Fellowship is a two-semester program for grade school educators to learn the human-centered design thinking process and implement it directly within their classroom––all while creating a network of support amongst their fellow teachers.

What is human-centered design?
Design thinking is a transferable, problem-solving framework similar to and compatible with the engineering design process, but more interdisciplinary and broadly applicable. Human-centeredness refers to the process’ emphasis on empathy, equity and creating user-centered solutions.

Through this fellowship (and beyond), teachers will gain the skills needed to implement this framework throughout their curriculum. This means students will have the capacity to frame our community’s greatest problems, utilize research to learn more about them, and prototype strong solutions to them by as young as 5-years old. By building these skills early on, we’re shaping our leaders and workforce. Read our theory of change here.

Sponsor a teacher.

By sponsoring teachers from various schools, your organization is helping fund the pursuit of their classroom’s design thinking projects, contribute to teacher workforce development, and alleviate financial burdens held by educators across Kansas City.

Find the available package benefits for sponsoring educators for our Fellowship below.

  • At the base-level package, your sponsorship will cover the cost of two (2) educators to participate in our program. This includes:

    • Two (2) Teacher Stipends [Valued at $1,000 each]
    • Two (2) Teacher Innovation Funds for continued pursuit of their classroom solutions [Valued at $500 each]
    • Final Showcase Funding

    Your sponsorship benefits will include:

    • Logo and “made possible by” on program kick-off and final showcase marketing materials
    • Acknowledgment in event marketing on @StartlandEducation social media accounts
    • Two (2) Invitations to kickoff and final showcase
    • Verbal recognition during kickoff and final event showcase

  • At the Mid-Tier Package, your sponsorship will cover the cost of four (4) educators to participate in our program. This includes:

    • Four (4) Teacher Stipends [Valued at $1,000 each]
    • Four (4) Teacher Innovation Funds for continued pursuit of their classroom solutions [Valued at $500 each]
    • Kickoff & Final Showcase Event Funding

    Your sponsorship benefits will include the same benefits as the Base Package PLUS:

    • Logo and “made possible by” in program recruitment materials
    • Opportunity to provide a promotional video to be used in event marketing
    • Opportunity to provide promotional items or giveaways for guests

  • At the Full Package, your sponsorship will cover the cost of six (6) educators to participate in our program. This includes:

    • Six (6) Teacher Stipends [Valued at $1,000 each]
    • Six (6) Teacher Innovation Funds for continued pursuit of their classroom solutions [Valued at $500 each]
    • Kickoff & Final Showcase Event Funding

    Your sponsorship benefits will include the same benefits as our Mid-Tier package, PLUS:

    • Recognition as presenting sponsor of the Fellowship’s final showcase (this includes logo and “presented by” on event materials, and stage time during the event).
    • Logo and “funded by” on our program’s Design Thinking Certification to be received by educators upon completion of the Fellowship.

“I’ve been teaching for 20 years. I needed something that was a little more relevant, a little more now. This has been a very good start for me.”

Amanda Dimino, ‘21 Fellow at Grandview Elementary

“I’ve been
teaching 9 years, and I don’t think anyone has been willing to get
teachers from all over the city and get into some practical projects. [...]
I took away a lot of things I can implement for my students––and right,
away, first-day kind of stuff too.”

Jeremy Todd, Educator at Sumner Academy

“I feel accomplished in being able to make an impact in and out of my own classroom.”

Rasheedat Yahaya, ‘21 Fellow at Brookside Charter Elementary

Read about some of our inaugural fellows’ final projects below.

Project Name: The G.O.A.T. Animal

Educators: Laura Roberts & Alex Thiesson

School: Ellis Elementary

Building on their animal biology unit, these 3rd grade teachers are implementing design thinking within the curriculum to have students conceptualize an animal that can withstand all climates and terrains.

Project Name: H2OH! NO!

Educators: Rasheedat Yahaya & Haley Patton

School: Brookside Elementary

Honing in on the clumsiness that comes with Kindergarten, Haley and Rasheedat are working with their students to create spill-proof water bottles. Follow along with their project here.

Fellows receive a stipend to continue funding their classroom’s ideas upon completion of the program.

Sponsor our next cohort of Early Educator Fellows!

Fill out the form below so that we may connect with your organization.