Uganda has made significant progress in expanding access to education. More learners are in school than ever before. The more urgent question now is whether they are learning, and who is leading that learning.

At Teach For Uganda, our work has always started from a simple conviction: teachers are the most important in-school factor influencing learning outcomes. But not all teaching is equal. The difference lies in preparation, support, and leadership.

Through our engagement in the Leaders in Teaching Program, we are contributing to a national effort to strengthen these very foundations, starting with who enters the classroom.

A Program Focused on System Change

The Leaders in Teaching Program is a flagship initiative designed to strengthen secondary education in Uganda. Implemented through a multi-partner consortium led by the Luigi Giussani Foundation, the program takes a system-wide approach, addressing teacher recruitment, training, leadership, and motivation as interconnected levers for change.

Leaders in Teaching Uganda is implemented through a consortium of ten partners, including Luigi.

Giussani Foundation (LGF), UNICEF, the British Council, Edukans International, Brainwave Careers, VVOB – education for development, Promoting Equality in African Schools (PEAS), STiR Education, the Forum for Education NGOs in Uganda (FENU), and Teach For Uganda under the strategic technical guidance of the Ministry of Education and Sports. This structure ensures alignment with national priorities and integration within existing education systems and policies.

This is not a program built on isolated interventions. It is designed to influence how the education ecosystem functions as a whole.

A Decade of Experience, Applied with Precision

Teach For Uganda brings over ten years of experience in recruiting and mentoring high- potential graduates to serve in underserved schools.

Over this period, one insight has remained consistent: Who you recruit determines what is possible in the classroom.

Our model has focused on identifying individuals with both academic strength and leadership potential, rigorously preparing them, and supporting them through a structured teaching and leadership journey.

The Leaders in Teaching Program provides an opportunity to apply this approach within a new context, secondary education, where subject mastery, particularly in STEM, is increasingly critical.

Strengthening the Teacher Pipeline

Within the program, Teach For Uganda is responsible for strengthening the teacher pipeline, ensuring that secondary classrooms are staffed not only with qualified individuals but with capable and committed leaders.

This requires more than recruitment. It requires: a deliberate selection process, strong pre-service preparation, and sustained in-service support.

The objective is clear: teachers who are effective from the outset, and who continue to grow in their ability to influence learning outcomes over time.

The Teach For Uganda fellowship is intentionally designed to attract, recruit, and mentor STEM teachers who not only demonstrate strong subject mastery but also possess the leadership, adaptability, and commitment required to transform classrooms and unlock the potential of every learner they serve.

The STEM Fellowship Pilot

A central component of this work is the introduction of a targeted STEM Fellowship focused on young women.

This is both a program contribution and a strategic shift.

Uganda, like many countries, faces persistent gaps in STEM education, particularly in the representation of women, both as learners and as educators. Addressing this requires more than curriculum reform. It requires changing who teaches and who is seen to lead.

The STEM Fellowship pilot responds directly to this need.

As a pilot, it is intentionally designed to test and generate evidence that will inform how this model can be refined and expanded in the future. It represents an entry point into secondary education that is both focused and forward-looking.

Leadership as a Driver of Learning

Teach For Uganda’s approach is grounded in the understanding that teaching is a form of leadership.

Classrooms are not neutral spaces. They are shaped by the teacher’s expectations, decisions, and actions. When teachers are prepared as leaders, they create environments where learners are more likely to engage, persist, and succeed.

This is why our model integrates instructional practice with leadership development, ensuring that impact extends beyond lesson delivery to influence school culture and community engagement.

Positioned for Long-Term Impact

Our contribution to the Leaders in Teaching Program is aligned with national frameworks, including the National Teacher Policy, Vision 2040, and the Education and Sports Sector Strategic Plan.

More importantly, it is positioned to contribute beyond the program’s lifespan.

By strengthening the teacher pipeline and investing in leadership, we are contributing to a system that is more resilient, more responsive, and better equipped to deliver quality education at scale.

Looking Ahead;

The Leaders in Teaching Program represents a significant step forward. For Teach For Uganda, it is also a moment of expansion, into new subjects, new levels of education, and new forms of system engagement.

The STEM Fellowship pilot is the beginning of this shift.

What is learned here will shape how we grow, how we partner, and how we continue to contribute to education reform in Uganda.

Because improving education is not only about access. It is about ensuring that every learner is met by a teacher who is prepared to lead.

Disclosure Statement

All services offered under the Teach For Uganda STEM Fellowship are free of charge. There are no fees associated with registration, training, scholarships, or any other service provided under the program.

If you have any questions, concerns, or wish to report any issue related to the STEM Fellowship, please get in touch with Teach For Uganda through our official communication channels or email us at info@teachforuganda.com