Pahara Fellowship Application

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Thank you for your interest in the Pahara Fellowship. We are currently accepting applications for cohorts launching in 2026. Through the application process, we hope to learn more about who you are, the work you do, and how you most hope to benefit from participation in this transformational development experience.

Before You Get Started

If you haven’t already done so, we invite you to review the Fellowship Program Overview and Selection Criteria which will provide you with information about the program and the characteristics we look for in the leaders we select. We also encourage you to visit our list of Frequently Asked Questions as this information will be beneficial in helping you frame your responses.

Lastly, we believe that a broad, diverse coalition is needed to reimagine the role and manner of education in society. While the Fellowship is open to all education leaders who meet our selection criteria, we are particularly seeking to identify innovative leaders who represent the following:

Charter schools
Nonprofit organizations supporting charter schools
Leaders bringing perspectives from across the political spectrum (we aim to have cohorts that are ⅓ left leaning, ⅓ moderate and ⅓ right leaning.)

Fellowship Design and Expectations

The Fellowship includes three week-long leadership seminars over a 12-month period. The seminar process relies heavily on a diverse and exceptional group of people making a deep commitment to their own reflection and to engaging in sustained dialogue with each other. At the simplest level, this means being present and fully prepared for all seminars.

At the heart of each seminar is text-based dialogue, getting grounded in nature, and mind and body connection. If selected as a Fellow, you will complete several readings prior to each seminar in order to participate fully in text-based discussions. For each seminar, readings will be sent at least one month in advance. The curriculum is a mix of contemporary and classical readings, and most of the readings do not come from education. We have found that the combination of these carefully curated readings, deep personal reflection, and the diversity of perspectives within each cohort results in dialogue that is profoundly meaningful to participants.

We curate cohort communities that are vibrant spaces of curiosity, reflection, and learning and include leaders holding multiple differences in background, experience, perspective, and orientation.

We’ve learned over time that this environment is fostered by participants’:

Dedication to their personal learning journey.
Commitment to suspend judgment on what they believe to be true.
Value for interdependence and desire to build durable bonds across lines of difference.
Ability to stay in inquiry, holding complexity and discomfort with openness and resilience.
Skill to self-regulate and navigate differences in values when activated.

Seminars begin on Monday evenings and end by noon on Fridays. All seminars are held on our campus in Bailey, Colorado. Please make sure that you have checked dates and times carefully, and can commit to being in person, present, and prepared for each of the seminars in its entirety, including travel days, before applying. You will be asked to provide a statement of support from your manager or board chair confirming their support of your participation.

In addition to in person seminars, we will hold a virtual orientation ahead of the first seminar. The virtual orientation and seminar dates for cohorts launching in 2026 are:

Option 1:

Orientation Date: May 10, 2026

Seminar 1: May 11-15, 2026

Seminar 2: October 5-9, 2026

Seminar 3: May 3-7, 2027

Option 2:

Orientation Date: May 10, 2026

Seminar 1: May 18-22, 2026

Seminar 2: October 19-23, 2026

Seminar 3: May 17-21, 2027

Option 3:

Orientation Date: July, 24, 2026

Seminar 1: September 14-18, 2026

Seminar 2: March 20-24, 2027

Seminar 3: August 30- September 3, 2027

Option 4:

Orientation Date: July, 24, 2026

Seminar 1: September 28- October 2, 2026

Seminar 2: April 12-16, 2027

Seminar 3: August 2-6, 2027

Preparing Your Application

The application will take you approximately 90 minutes to complete. You will have the option to save your form and return to complete it at a later time. It is strongly recommended to save a copy of your responses separate from this application, in case there are technical errors with final submission.

The application requests the following:

information about your background, your work, and your leadership;
why participation in the Fellowship feels timely for you now;
the names and email addresses of three references who know you well, and can provide concrete examples that illustrate the impact of your work. We request a minimum of two professional references, ideally one from a direct report, and one from a direct supervisor or equivalent. The third reference can be either a personal or professional reference of your choice.
a copy of your bio and resume.

In the coming weeks, we will send the reference form to the individuals you listed in your application. Please remind them to keep an eye on their inbox, as we kindly request their responses within two weeks of receiving the email. If we encounter any issues with receiving their forms, we’ll follow up with you.

Candidates will be notified of their selection status in December. If our timeline changes, we will notify you via email.

Should you experience any difficulties submitting your application, please contact the Pahara team at selection@pahara.org for assistance.

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Seminar Availability

Option 1:

Orientation Date: May 10, 2026

Seminar 1: May 11-15, 2026

Seminar 2: October 5-9, 2026

Seminar 3: May 3-7, 2027

Option 2:

Orientation Date: May 10, 2026

Seminar 1: May 18-22, 2026

Seminar 2: October 19-23, 2026

Seminar 3: May 17-21, 2027

Option 3:

Orientation Date: July, 24, 2026

Seminar 1: September 14-18, 2026

Seminar 2: March 20-24, 2027

Seminar 3: August 30- September 3, 2027

Option 4:

Orientation Date: July, 24, 2026

Seminar 1: September 28- October 2, 2026

Seminar 2: April 12-16, 2027

Seminar 3: August 2-6, 2027

Please select all cohorts for which you could be available if you are selected:

Option 1Option 2Option 3Option 4I am unavailable during these times, but would like to be considered for future cohorts

If you selected "unavailable" please elaborate:

Please note that indicating availability for a Pahara cohort does not guarantee selection.

Should you experience any difficulties submitting your application, please contact the Pahara team at selection@pahara.org for assistance.

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Contact Information

First Name

Last Name

Name Pronunciation

Job Title

Organization

Mobile Phone

Work Phone

Preferred Email Address

Secondary Email Address

Mailing Address Type

Mailing Address

Mailing City

Mailing State

Mailing Zip Code

If you selected "other" for state, please elaborate:

Demographic Information

We strive to build cohorts that are inclusive of the breadth of our humanity across multiple domains of difference, including socio-economic background, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical ability, religious affiliation, and political ideology.

While not required, providing the following demographic information helps us ensure we are including individuals bringing a rich array of perspectives and lived experiences. If you would prefer not to provide certain demographic information, please feel free to select "prefer not to share" where that option is available.

The attributes below are not listed in any order of priority.

Date of Birth (MM/DD/YYYY)

Gender

If you answered "prefer to self-describe" please elaborate:

Personal gender pronouns

If you answered "prefer to self-describe" please elaborate:

Please identify your sexual orientation. Do you consider yourself to be:

Asexual	Bisexual	Gay
Heterosexual	Lesbian	Pansexual
Polysexual	Two-spirit	Queer
Prefer to self-describe	Prefer not to share

If you answered "prefer to self-describe" please elaborate:

Race/Ethnicity (please select all that apply)

American Indian or Alaska Native	Asian (East Asian, SouthEast Asian or South Asian)
Black or African American	Hispanic or Latino/a/x/é
Middle Eastern or North African	Multiracial and/or Multi-Ethnic
Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian	White
Prefer not to share	Prefer to self-describe

If you selected Multiracial and/or Multi-Ethnic or prefer to self-describe, please elaborate:

If you would like to share more with us about how you identify racially, ethnically, or culturally, please do so here:

Religious Affiliation

Agnostic	Atheist	Buddhist
Christian	Hindu	Jain
Jewish	Muslim	Not practicing
Spiritual	Unitarian Universalist	Prefer not to share
Prefer to self-describe	Other

If you selected other or prefer to self-describe or would like to add more information, please further describe your religious affiliation:

What is your political leaning?

If you answered “prefer to self-describe” please elaborate:

What was your family’s economic status during your PK-16 years?

If you answered “prefer to self-describe”please elaborate:

Did you receive free or reduced lunch during your PK-16 years and/or were you the recipient of a Pell grant?

If you answered “prefer to self-describe” please elaborate:

Were you a first-generation college student? (First-generation college student as defined by: your parent(s), guardian(s), or caretaker(s), who you regularly lived with, did not graduate from a four-year college or university)

If you answered "prefer to self-describe" please elaborate:

If you grew up in the United States, were you designated as an English Learner during your PK-16 education?

If you answered "prefer to self-describe" please elaborate:

If you grew up in the United States, were you designated as a student with special needs during your PK-16 education?

If you answered "prefer to self-describe" please elaborate:

Do you identify as having a disability or difference?

Yes, Cognitive	Yes, Emotional
Yes, Hearing	Yes, Mental
Yes, Physical	Yes, Visual
No	Prefer not to share
Prefer to self-describe

If you answered "prefer to self-describe" please elaborate:

Where do you typically plot yourself along the extroversion/introversion continuum?

Extrovert	Introvert
Ambivert	Prefer not to share
Prefer to self-describe

If you answered "prefer to self-describe" please elaborate:

Please share any other facets of your identity or lived experience you believe would help give us a fuller picture of who you are. Please limit your response to 200 words.

Professional Experience

From the list below, please choose the option that best describes your current professional focus in the education field. (See below for brief descriptions of each option.)

Charter: a publicly funded independent school or organization established by community leaders or groups, organizations, teachers, and families under the terms of a charter with a local or national authority.
Community: a local or regional organization aimed at making desired improvements to a geographic community's social health, well-being, and overall functioning.
Consulting: an organization providing services to schools, communities, or individuals to improve their performance or in any way to assist in achieving organizational objectives.
District: A public school district under the control of a local school board.
Elected official: Someone elected to public office, serving education and/or students.
Federal: An education role associated with the federal government.
Funder: A provider of funds as for the support of a charitable or nonprofit organization.
Higher Education: An organization or school prioritizing education beyond high school, especially at a college or university.
Human Capital: An organization prioritizing the support and development of people through fellowships, professional development, convenings, etc.
Local Government: An elected or appointed official of a local government.
Music/Art: An organization that centers performing arts in its mission.
Policy/Advocacy: An organization on the front lines of lobbying, influencing policy, and advocating for students at the local, state, or national level.
Pre-K Education: An organization that prioritizes pre-school programming.
Private/Independent School: A school not supported financially by the government and that parents pay for their children to attend.
State: State agencies or state departments of education that provide resources, support, and assistance to schools and communities.
Tech: An organization specializing in leveraging software to enhance learning outcomes in the classroom.
Youth Services: An organization prioritizing student leadership, voice, or community engagement.

Professional Geographic Perspective

Do you live in and/or support rural communities?

YesNo

We would like to understand the scale of your organization. Please complete the following questions:

How many schools are in your network?

Is your network of schools local, regional, or national?

Approximately how many students do your schools serve?

How many staff work at your organization?

Is your organization local, regional, or national?

If your organization serves schools and/or students, how many schools and/or students does your organization serve or reach? Please share approximate numbers.

Please select the range that best fits your organization's budget:

If you would like to elaborate on the size, scope, scale, or budget of your network or organization, please do so here:

Please select the greatest number of employees that you have managed (either your direct reports or those reporting to your direct reports).

Which of the following best describes your current organization?

If you answered "prefer to self-describe" please elaborate:

Do you work with charter schools in any way?

YesNo

What percentage of your work is with charter schools?

0%25%50%75%100%

To what extent does your organization support charter schools?

This organization runs one or more charter schools.This organization provides funding, talent or other support to charter schools with charter schools comprising 50% or more of our clientele. This organization provides minimal support to charter schools or less than 50% of our clientele are charter schools. This organization does not serve charter schools. Other

Please share more information about why you selected "Other".

How long have you been in your current role?

Are you anticipating a change in your current role within the next 12 months? If so, please elaborate (optional).

Other Information

If applicable, please indicate any other leadership development programs in which you are currently participating or have previously participated. Please include the timeframe when you participated.

If applicable, please indicate other leadership development programs you may be interested in or will be participating in over the next 2 years.

Should you experience any difficulties submitting your application, please contact the Pahara team at selection@pahara.org for assistance.

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Essay Questions

Please respond to each of the following questions in 300 words or less. As you craft your responses, please know your application may be reviewed without attribution to you and without any identifying characteristics, including the name of your organization.

Why is participation in the Pahara Fellowship timely for you professionally and personally?

How has your work advanced opportunity for students and families not served well by our public education system? Please include examples of the outcomes you've observed from this work.

In what ways have you imagined and realized new and innovative opportunities in your work? Please include examples of the outcomes you've observed and what role collaboration played in creating these innovative opportunities.

At Pahara, we believe in the value of diverse perspectives as necessary components to the make-up of our cohorts, including diversity in political thought. We do not evaluate how candidates describe themselves politically, we rely on self-description to curate cohorts that represent a spectrum of political leanings. How do you describe yourself politically? What are the foundational beliefs behind this description?

Resume, Bio, and References

Please upload your resume in .pdf format and name the file: "(Your Full Name) Resume."

Please copy and paste your bio here:

Please submit the names and email addresses of three references who know you well, and can provide concrete examples that illustrate the impact of your work. We request a minimum of two professional references, ideally one from a direct report, and one from a direct supervisor or equivalent. The third reference can be either a personal or professional reference of your choice.

Reference 1 - First Name

Reference 1 - Last Name

Reference 1 - Email Address

Reference 1 - Relationship

Reference 2 - First Name

Reference 2 - Last Name

Reference 2 - Email Address

Reference 2 - Relationship

Reference 3 - First Name

Reference 3 - Last Name

Reference 3 - Email Address

Reference 3 - Relationship

We may also reach out to Fellows in our community who are familiar with your work to understand the full scope of your leadership. Given the degree of openness and vulnerability expected in this phase of our process, information shared with us through this application or in the reference process is held with the highest degree of confidentiality. Please share the names of Pahara Fellows who know your work, if applicable.

Full Name of Pahara Fellow(s)

Should you experience any difficulties submitting your application, please contact the Pahara team at selection@pahara.org for assistance.

This form may take one to two minutes to submit - please do not move away from this screen until you get the confirmation notice that it has been submitted.

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