Gerstacker Fellowship Application and Selection Process

The selection program begins with the solicitation of nominations for the entering class of Gerstacker Fellows. Letters are sent out in March to superintendents across the State to inform them of the purpose and scope of the program and to seek their nomination of outstanding teachers and administrators. Notices are also sent to graduates of the Gerstacker Fellowship Program to encourage them to advise their superintendent and/or respective colleagues who would benefit from participation.

A superintendent or supervisor then submits a letter of recommendation on behalf of that individual as part of the application. The nominated individual is required to submit an electronic application which includes a resume, the completion of several essay questions, and a colleague recommendation. 

All applications and supporting materials must be submitted electronically. The application portal opens on April 28th and closes on June 13th. The application portal tab is located on the bottom of all Gerstacker Fellowship pages. Each candidate will receive an email notification of the receipt of the application packet. 

Up to twelve individuals are selected for each entering class.  Aside from the minimum requirement of a master’s degree, those individuals are selected on the basis of past academic, service and professional experience, the assessment by others as to their potential for excellence in leadership, and their ability to benefit from and contribute to the Program.

A selection committee is comprised of the Co-Directors of the Program and a team of graduates of the Gerstacker Fellowship Program. The committee reviews the applications and selects those individuals for interviews held on the campus of Saginaw Valley State University.  From the interview group, the new Gerstacker Fellows are selected by the end of June. An induction ceremony and is conducted in early November to welcome the new class of Gerstacker Fellows.

2025-2026 Tentative Fellowship Meeting Schedule

• September 12-13
• October 10-11
• November 14-15
• December 5-6
• January 9-10
• February 6-7
• March 6-7 
• April 17-18
• April/May – Dates and Destination TBD - International Trip
• Date TBD - Symposium

Monthly meetings will be on Friday from 4:00-8:00pm and Saturday from 8:00am-4:00pm

Possible Topics

• Planning to Lead
• Building a Culture of Achievement
• Systems Thinking in Education
• Leading Through Crisis
• Global Education
• Educational Innovation
• Public Policy in Education
• Communication and Storytelling  
• Socially Conscious leadership
• Data-Driven Decision Making  
• Educational and Cultural International Travel