The Dream Program

Building the Next Generation of Literacy Leaders in Texas

The TCTELA Dream Program is a grant-funded mentoring initiative supported by the NCTE Fund that invests in pre-service and early-career educators of color as they grow into confident literacy professionals, researchers, and leaders. Over an 18-month cycle (September 2026 – February 2028), participants are paired with experienced mentor educators of color and guided through sustained professional development, an action research project rooted in their own classroom practice, and a pathway to presenting at the TCTELA Annual Conference.

What Participants Do

Dream Program participants engage in three interconnected strands of professional growth:

Mentoring. Each participant is paired with an experienced educator of color who serves as a research coach, professional guide, and advocate. Mentors and mentees meet monthly for one-on-one coaching sessions focused on goal-setting, instructional reflection, and support for action research.
Action Research. Dreamers design and implement a classroom-based action research project: identifying a question that matters to their practice, collecting and analyzing data, and drawing conclusions that strengthen their teaching and contribute to the broader ELA community.
Conference Leadership. With mentor coaching, participants draft and submit a conference proposal, prepare a professional presentation, and share their action research with fellow literacy educators from across Texas at the 2028 TCTELA Annual Conference.

What Participants Receive

Monthly one-on-one mentoring from an experienced educator of color
Quarterly professional development sessions with the full cohort
Guidance and support to complete an action research project
Coaching to write a conference proposal and deliver a conference presentation
Registration assistance for the 2027 and 2028 TCTELA Annual Conferences
Professional headshots and career planning tools
Learning credit and volunteer hours
Free books and merchandise

Who Should Apply

The Dream Program is designed for pre-service teachers and early-career educators of color who are committed to growing as ELA and literacy professionals. Whether you are in your teacher preparation program, in your first few years in the classroom, or finding your footing as a new educator, this program is designed to meet you where you are and help you develop your teacher identity, instructional practice, and professional voice. The application for the 2027-2028 cohort will open in April 2027.

Interested?

For more information about the TCTELA Dream Program, including application details and

deadlines, contact us at info@tctela.org or visit www.tctela.org.