As an Innovative Schools Fellow, you’ll step into a once-in-a-career opportunity to design and launch a world-class public school in St. Louis with the full strategic, financial, and operational backing of The Opportunity Trust. This is a role for leaders who are ready to turn their biggest, boldest ideas into a living, breathing school launch plan that serves children for generations.
Throughout the fellowship, you’ll bring your leadership vision to life while receiving high caliber executive development, targeted residencies in top-performing St. Louis schools, and curated national excellent school visits to engage with innovative school models across the country. The support you will receive to make your ideas a reality will occur through residencies in St. Louis schools, professional development, and excellent school visits.
The next cohort, beginning in Summer 2026 is now accepting applications.
What to Expect:
- Salary: $115,000–$185,000+ annually during the two-year fellowship
- Access to school startup funding
- Personalized coaching and mentorship from education and executive leaders
- Residency placement in a St. Louis public school with opportunities to test and refine your ideas in real time.
- National learning visits and exposure to innovative school models
- Protected time to plan, design, and prepare your school model
- Collaboration with a diverse cohort of leaders equally committed to innovation and community-driven design
- Ongoing post-fellowship coaching and professional development
“The Opportunity Trust’s support allowed us to build a school model based on families’ needs that is also backed by proven approaches we learned from research and relationships with world-class school leaders.” – Colby Heckendorn, School Founder
Founders: Colby Heckendorn & Genevieve Backer
Model: A Community Lab School
National Models Studied: Citizens of the World & New Schools San Francisco
Grades Served: K-5
Established: 2021
“The more I engage with our founding student leaders and their families, the more sure I am that The Leadership School’s model and approach will offer a space where young people can explore their authentic interests and cultivate the leaders within themselves.” – Kimberly Townsend, School Founder
Founder: Kimberly Townsend
Model: Leader In Me: Sense of Belonging -> Rigorous Academics -> Authentic Student Leadership
National Models Studied: Leader In Me
Grades Served: K-5
Established: 2022
“I want to help my community create generational wealth, as an educator I know this starts with closing the education achievement gap and providing students that look like me access and exposure to opportunities that will change the trajectory of their lives.” – Kimberly Neal-Brannum, School Founder
Founder: Kimberly Neal-Brannum
Model: Workforce Development -> Real-World Learning -> Health Sciences career pipeline
Grades Served: 9-12
Established: 2024