Drexel Fund School Founders Program

The Drexel Fund Founders Program is a one-year paid fellowship that helps outstanding leaders already on the path to launching a school continue to plan and open an innovative and effective private school in one of The Drexel Fund’s target states: Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin. The eighth cohort of the Founders Program is designed for entrepreneurs who will begin the fellowship in Summer 2025 and be ready to launch a new private school in Fall 2026.

Through the fellowship, school founders will develop their school’s education model and finalize the nuts and bolts of their school launch, including board and budget development, market analysis, facility location, student recruitment and staff hiring. Founders will create a plan that will make it possible for their school to achieve top-tier results for children while maintaining a sustainable financial model.

The Drexel Fund seeks Fellows whose schools will have a student body that is at least one third eligible for free/reduced-fee lunch, be academically rigorous and financially sustainable, and help students develop strong character. Fellows have a strong rationale for opening a private school, either because their school will be faith-based or will feature an innovative approach that requires the autonomy of a private school.

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