Stay Connected. Pay It Forward. Get Involved with IRT.

Once IRT, always IRT.
As alumni of the Institute for Recruitment of Teachers, you know firsthand the power of community, mentorship, and shared commitment to educational equity. IRT is more than its programming, it’s a lifelong network of educators, scholars, and leaders who lift one another as we move forward in our careers.

Each summer, a new cohort of IRT Scholars arrives inspired, ambitious, and eager to learn from those who have walked this path before them. That’s where you come in.

We warmly invite IRT alumni to get involved as Summer Workshop Faculty and/or Statement of Purpose Advisors. These roles offer meaningful opportunities to reconnect with IRT, share your expertise, and make a tangible difference in the graduate journeys of emerging scholars. Whether you’re facilitating a workshop, offering thoughtful feedback on statements of purpose, or sharing lessons from your own academic and professional path. Your perspective matters! Serving in either role is also a chance to reflect, recharge, and reengage with the mission that brought us together. Many alumni have shared that returning to IRT renews their sense of purpose while strengthening the cycle of mentorship that defines our community.

Below, you’ll find brief descriptions of each position. Please be on the lookout for the official job postings on the Phillips Andover (PA) ADP job portal in the coming weeks. We will also share an announcement via the online IRT Alumni Network once the postings have been approved and uploaded to the PA job portal. 

We hope you’ll consider joining us this summer and continuing the legacy of support, excellence, and community that makes IRT so special.
We can’t wait to welcome you back.

Summer Workshop Faculty – Position Summary

Summer Workshop Faculty are IRT alumni who support aspiring graduate students in education across K–12 and higher education and the humanities during IRT’s flagship, fully virtual Summer Workshop. Faculty work with a cohort of scholars, facilitating seminars and skill‑building sessions that focus on professional identity development, pedagogical growth, and curricular preparation for graduate study. Grounded in IRT’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and community‑centered teaching, faculty introduce scholars to critical theory in education, the humanities, and social sciences while helping them align academic interests with future graduate pathways. The curriculum includes interactive presentations, reading seminars, writing workshops and chalk talks by nationally recognized educators, as well as engagement with consortium partners through a virtual Graduate Recruitment Fair. Summer Faculty receive orientation and onboarding prior to the workshop to ensure a supportive, collaborative experience. 

Summer Workshop 2026 Important Dates 

• Summer Workshop Faculty Orientation and Onboarding (June 15-June 25) Note: Specific meeting times to be determined with the faculty. 
• Summer Workshop (June 29 – July 23)
• Summer Workshop Faculty Wrap Up (July 24)

Statement of Purpose Advisor (SOPA) – Position Summary 

Statement of Purpose Advisors supports IRT Scholars virtually through the demanding graduate application process by providing individualized and small group guidance on drafting and refining school‑specific statements of purpose and related materials, including writing samples, resumes/CVs, and personal history statements. Advisors typically work with 1–5 scholars during the eight‑week Fall SOP Advising period (September–November), offering structured feedback, holding regular meetings, and engaging through IRT’s Canvas platform. Following onboarding and training in the summer, advisors help scholars articulate their academic interests, professional goals, and lived experiences with clarity and purpose. IRT welcomes advisors from a wide range of disciplinary and professional backgrounds, particularly those with expertise in education, social sciences, humanities, and K–12 teaching, who are committed to equity‑centered mentorship and rigorous graduate preparation.