The Raise Your Hand Texas Community Leaders Fellowship empowers you and your team to become stronger public education leaders in your community, shaping the future of your local school district and hometown.
All Texas school districts are eligible to apply to the first cohort of the Raise Your Hand Texas Community Leaders Fellowship. The Fellowship will be school district- and community-focused, and members of the cohort will include members of school district leadership and teachers, as well as parents and other community leaders.
Key Dates in the Application Process
- Applications open on Wednesday, October 8, 2025
- Early Bird application deadline is Monday, December 1, 2025*
- Applications close on Monday, January 5, 2026
Selection Process
At the close of each application window (Early Bird on December 1, 2025, and final closing deadline on January 5, 2026), the selection committee will review all applications and schedule virtual interviews with selected school districts. Selected school districts’ applicants should plan to include their superintendent and one community leader in these interviews.
- Grant Awardees selected and notified by Monday, January 12, 2026*
- Grant Awards must be accepted by Friday, January 16, 2026, at noon
- Grant Award public announcement on Wednesday, January 21, 2026*
*When applying to the Fellowship, any teams accepted into the Community Leaders Fellowship commit to not announcing their participation in the Fellowship until after Raise Your Hand Texas has made its public announcement on Wednesday, January 21, 2026.
Grant Award
Raise Your Hand Texas will cover food and accommodation costs for cohort members for Session 4 (an in-person retreat) and Session 9 (located in Austin), including accommodations for the night before the first day of training. Raise Your Hand Texas will subsidize some of the travel costs for cohort members traveling long distances.
Questions
Contact Amy Dodson, Dean of Advocacy, at adodson@ryht.org.
Trustee Advocate Program Graduates
