The Academy For Teachers Inc

What The Academy For Teachers Inc does

The Academy for Teachers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 by Sam Swope and headquartered in New York City that provides professional development and community programming for K-12 teachers across public, charter, and private schools in the NYC metro area. Its core products are intimate Master Classes led by Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, MacArthur Fellows, and other luminaries (in-person full-day sessions at partner venues across NYC, or virtual three-session formats), the Early Career Fellowship — a two-year structured program for teachers in their first five years costing $2,250 per teacher — plus a portfolio of grants (including the Don Quixote Fellowship), an Artist Residency, contests, the Woodridge Award, and the Great Writers on Great Teachers chapbook series. The organization claims participating teachers are 4x more likely to remain in the profession than non-participants and has built a 3,200+ Fellow community through more than 450 annual events.

Revenue mechanics blend philanthropic contributions with earned program fees. Schools pay tuition on behalf of teachers — $175-$350 (public/charter) or $350-$1,000 (private) per master class, with scholarships for public schools — while individual donations, corporate and foundation grants (Golden Seeds, Hearst, others), and a single annual gala ('Show Teachers the Love!', raising over $400,000 in 2026) supply the remainder of the $1.8M annual budget. The go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: teachers apply or are nominated for master classes, become Fellows, and drive referrals through word-of-mouth, supported by 80+ partner institutions including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Frick Collection, NYU, Columbia, and the American Museum of Natural History, plus a flagship Private Schools & Public Education Partnership of 13 elite NYC private schools. In July 2025 Dr. Tom Liam Lynch succeeded founder Sam Swope as president; the organization is independently governed by a volunteer board and has no parent company, PE/VC backing, or disclosed funding rounds.

Name

The Academy For Teachers Inc

Legal name

The Academy for Teachers, Inc.

Website

https://academyforteachers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Academy for Teachers is a NYC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 that delivers master classes, fellowships, grants, and community programming for K-12 teachers across public, charter, and private schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Teacher Professional Development Services

NAICS

Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Teacher Professional Development & In-Service Training Institutes (EDAHAFAM)

Keywords

• Teacher professional development
• K-12 educator community
• Teacher fellowship programs
• Educator master classes
• Nonprofit teacher support

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting teacher retention and professional development. The Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
2. Gala Fundraiser: Annual fundraising event 'Show Teachers the Love!' is the organization's only fundraising event of the year. The 2026 gala raised over $400,000.
3. Program Fees: Schools pay tuition for master classes. Public/charter schools: $350 in-person, $175 virtual. Private schools: $1,000 in-person, $350 virtual. The Early Career Fellowship costs $2,250 per teacher, paid by schools.
4. Corporate & Foundation Grants: Support from foundations and corporate sponsors. Donor list includes individuals and organizations such as Golden Seeds, Hearst, and various foundations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Academy for Teachers delivers paid master classes (in-person in NYC and virtual via Zoom) and a two-year Early Career Fellowship to K-12 teachers from public, charter, and private schools, supplemented by grants (Don Quixote Fellowship, Bread Loaf scholarship), an artist residency, contests, events, and a Video Resource Library. Schools pay tuition on behalf of participating teachers, while the organization's broader operations and subsidized seats are funded by individual donations, corporate/foundation grants, and an annual gala.

Product overview

The Academy for Teachers is a nonprofit professional development organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs for K-12 teachers. The core offerings include Master Classes (in-person and online) led by world-class experts, an Early Career Fellowship (two-year program), and various grants including the Don Quixote Fellowship and Bread Loaf School of English Scholarship. Additional programs include an Artist Residency, Events (lectures, workshops, performances), Contests (flash fiction and portrait contests), the Great Writers on Great Teachers chapbook series, the annual Show Teachers the Love! gala, and the Woodridge Award. The organization also maintains a Video Resource Library of master class recordings. Programs are supported by a Private Schools & Public Education Partnership initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master Classes Intimate professional development sessions led by world-class experts including Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and MacArthur Fellows, designed for K-12 teachers from public, charter, and private schools. Available in-person (full day in NYC) or online (three 90-minute Zoom sessions). Schools pay tuition on behalf of teachers; scholarships available for public schools.
• Early Career Fellowship A two-year professional learning community providing master classes, personalized mentoring, workshops, and peer community for early career K-12 teachers (0-5 years experience) to address retention and the underrepresentation of teachers of color. Schools pay $2,250 per teacher, often as part of a team membership.
• Events Lectures, workshops, performances, social gatherings, book groups, writing groups, chorus, and a softball team open to teachers in the Academy's community. Free programming designed to extend connection beyond master classes.
• Don Quixote Fellowship A grant program that supports idealistic, creative projects born of teachers' passions, with awards of up to $5,000. Recipients become Don Quixote Fellows and pursue self-directed creative projects with funding support.
• Artist Residency for Teachers A ten-day summer artist residency at Foundation House in Greenwich, CT, hosting 6-8 teacher-artists annually. Residents receive housing, meals, studio space, and a $500 honorarium to pursue creative work.
• Bread Loaf School of English Scholarship A $5,000 scholarship for Academy Fellows to attend the six-week Bread Loaf School of English summer program at Middlebury College. Operated as a joint scholarship with the Bread Loaf School of English.
• Stories Out of School Flash Fiction Contest An annual flash fiction contest inviting stories about teachers; winners receive a $1,000 prize and publication in Academy materials.
• Teacher Portrait Contest An annual contest inviting photographic, drawn, or painted portraits of teachers; winners receive a $500 prize.
• Great Writers on Great Teachers A chapbook series that commissions distinguished authors to write about the teachers who made a difference in their lives, published and distributed by the Academy.
• Video Resource Library An online library of master class recordings and videos that supports and inspires teachers beyond the live program calendar.

Quantifiable outcome

• Teachers who participate in Academy programs are 4 times more likely to stay in the teaching profession than teachers who don't participate.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Foundation HouseflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Foundation House partners with the Academy to host 6-8 teachers for a 10-day artist residency each summer at their Greenwich, CT estate. Residents receive housing, meals, studio space, and a $500 honorarium. The nonprofit center focuses on health, wellness, environment, and social justice.
• Incite Institute at Columbia UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership with Incite Institute at Columbia University to fund five Don Quixote Fellows in 2025. Incite is an interdisciplinary institute at Columbia that produces knowledge for public action by joining with people and organizations to rethink understanding of what knowledge is, how it's created, and how it can be used.
• Young People's Chorus of NYC (YPC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership with YPC to offer scholarships to Academy Fellows for YPC National's choral-conducting workshop. Fellows attend master classes, performances, and hands-on workshops at Lincoln Center, NYU, and Classical Theatre of Harlem.
• Private Schools & Public Education PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011A signature initiative bringing together public, private, and charter school teachers to create a diverse, inclusive, and inspiring learning community. Sustaining Partners include The Brearley School, The Buckley School, The Cathedral School of St. John the Divine, Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, The Dalton School, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Friends Seminary, Grace Church School, Packer Collegiate Institute, Riverdale Country School, St. Bernard's School, and Trinity School. Contributors include The Chapin School.
• NYU (New York University)coreOthers · 1 January 2011Partner institution hosting Early Career Fellowship meetings and master classes at their facilities.
• Carnegie HallcoreOthers · 1 January 2011Prestigious partner institution hosting master classes and events. One of over 80 cultural and academic partner institutions.
• Lincoln CentercoreOthers · 1 January 2011Prestigious partner institution hosting master classes and events including the YPC National choral-conducting workshop.
• American Museum of Natural HistorycoreOthers · 1 January 2011Partner institution hosting master classes and educational events.
• The Frick CollectioncoreOthers · 1 January 2011Partner institution hosting art education master classes.
• Columbia UniversitycoreOthers · 1 January 2011Partner institution and collaborator on the Don Quixote Fellowship program through the Incite Institute.
• Middlebury Bread Loaf School of EnglishflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011The Academy is modeled on the Bread Loaf School of English and offers joint scholarships for Fellows to attend the six-week summer program. Founder Sam Swope was founding dean of the Teacher Institute at the Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at The New York Public Library.
• Math for AmericacoreOthers · 1 January 2011Partner institution supporting math education professional development.
• Barnard CollegecoreOthers · 1 January 2011Partner institution hosting master classes and educational events.
• New York Public LibrarycoreOthers · 1 January 2011Major partner institution supporting teacher development programs.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• New Teacher Center: National nonprofit focused on mentoring and professional development for early career teachers. Directly comparable because both organizations target the same primary problem (early career teacher retention) via structured mentorship, fellowships, and PD.
• Math for America: NYC-based nonprofit that provides fellowships and professional development to outstanding mathematics and science teachers. Directly comparable as a teacher PD nonprofit serving NYC public school teachers with a fellowship model; Math for America is listed as a partner of the Academy in the company data.
• Leading Educators: National nonprofit partnering with school systems to develop teacher leaders and improve instructional practice. Comparable professional development and teacher leadership focus, though operates more through district system partnerships than the Academy's community/fellowship model.
• Instruction Partners: Nonprofit that partners with school systems to strengthen instructional practice and teacher development. Comparable PD-for-teachers mission serving K-12 educators, though focuses on system-level capacity building rather than individual teacher inspiration and community.
• Urban Teacher Center: Nonprofit operating a teacher residency and development program for urban educators. Comparable focus on teacher preparation, development, and retention in urban school systems, though structured as a residency/certification program rather than ongoing PD.

Broad incumbents

• TNTP (The New Teacher Project): Large national nonprofit that partners with school districts on teacher recruitment, training, and development. Comparable mission around teacher effectiveness and retention, though broader scope and direct district-contract model differ from the Academy's community/fellowship approach.
• Relay Graduate School of Education: Graduate school of education offering alternative certification and master's degrees for aspiring and current teachers. Comparable in teacher training and PD mission, though Relay operates as a degree-granting institution versus the Academy's non-degree fellowship model.
• Teach For America: Major national nonprofit recruiting and developing teachers for high-need communities. Comparable focus on teacher pipeline and early career support, though TFA operates at much larger scale with a recruitment-and-placement model rather than ongoing PD for existing teachers.

Emerging players

• Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College: Graduate summer program for English teachers at Middlebury College. The Academy for Teachers was explicitly modeled on this program and offers joint scholarships for Fellows to attend. Comparable in teacher intellectual community and teacher summer programming.
• Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at The New York Public Library: NYPL fellowship program where Academy founder Sam Swope served as founding dean of the Teacher Institute. Comparable in convening scholars/writers with teachers, though structured as a NYPL institute rather than an independent PD nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/AcademyforTeach
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/AcademyforTeachers
• Facebookfacebook.com/academyforteachers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-academy-for-teachers
• Instagraminstagram.com/academyforteachers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Academy For Teachers Inc