Stanford’s Hollyhock Fellows gain tools to stay motivated
“Thank you, Hollyhock, for giving me what I didn’t realize I desperately needed – a community of fellow educators, across all disciplines, who really believe in changing the way we teach our children.”—Sarah Ahmed, teacher, Oakland Technical High School, Oakland, California
Nearly half of all U.S. teachers leave the classroom within five years. Early-career teachers in low-income communities are particularly prone to leave the profession, often feeling they lack mentorship or resources.
Each summer, 200 talented teachers in low-income high schools across the nation meet at Stanford for support and enrichment to help reverse this trend. As Hollyhock Fellows of the Stanford Graduate School of Education’s Center to Support Excellence in Teaching, these teachers receive what they need to bloom where they are needed most.
The Hollyhock program was founded in 2013 with a $4.5 million gift from an anonymous donor. Fellows apply in groups of three or more, so they can form communities of support back home. They meet at Stanford for four weeks of residential workshops over two summers, deepening their content knowledge and enhancing collaborative skills. Video-based monthly coaching and expert mentorship continue for two school years, offering long-term professional development.
“This is exactly the piece of the puzzle that was missing,” said Caprice Banks, a Hollyhock Fellow from Chicago, in this video. “I’ve always wanted to increase the rigor for my students. I realize now that I didn’t have the tools.”
Hollyhock is one of many groundbreaking initiatives of the Stanford Graduate School of Education that shape teaching practice, theory, research and policy with a goal of enhancing education for all people. The GSE’s students pursue the knowledge, wisdom, and imagination to lead efforts to improve educational quality around the globe. The GSE’s programs lower social, economic and geographic bars to learning.
Watch Hollyhock participants share what the program has meant for their lives.