Teachers from Richmond Public Schools are working to establish a Teachers Institute for Richmond with the support of the Yale National Initiative®. Teachers Institutes are partnerships between a high-need public school district and a local college or university that strengthen teaching through content-based professional development. They offer collegial seminars led by faculty in which teachers improve their content knowledge and create a curriculum unit designed specifically for their students.

Each year, several Richmond teachers are named National Fellows by the Yale National Initiative. As Fellows, they are introduced to the Teachers Institute model by participating in a seminar on the Yale campus led by a faculty member.

Our 2026 Yale National Fellows from Richmond are:

  • Justin Baber, Richmond Virtual Academy

  • Christopher De Matteo, Thomas Jefferson High School

  • Erik Harris, Richmond Community High School

  • Stephanie Hooks, Bellevue Elementary School

  • Angel Johnson, Cardinal Elementary School

  • Amanda McMahon, Huguenot High School

  • Beth Sawyer, Bellevue Elementary School

  • Valerie J. Schwarz, Mary Munford Elementary School