Jack Hazard Fellowships Program for Writers

The Jack Hazard Fellowships, administered by the New Literary Project, aim to support high school educators who are also practicing creative writers. Since 2021, this initiative has provided financial and institutional support to enable such educators to focus on their literary craft during the summer months. Beginning with nine fellows in California in 2022, the program expanded nationwide in 2023, supporting writers in fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and memoir. To date, the program has recognized 38 fellows across 15 states, with the goal of encouraging creativity and professional growth among teacher-writers. The fellowship offers a $5,000 award to up to ten selected writers annually. The purpose of the grant is to allow educators the time and financial flexibility to concentrate on a self-directed writing project over the summer. Eligible applicants must be full-time teachers at accredited U.S. high schools, across any department, with at least three years of teaching experience. Fellows must also plan to continue teaching full-time into the following academic year. The program welcomes submissions from teachers in public, private, charter, and independent schools. Applications for the 2026 fellowships will open on November 15, 2025, and close on January 9, 2026, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. The process requires submission through an online form, including a biography, curriculum vitae, writing project proposal, and a writing sample. The writing sample may consist of up to 5,000 words of prose or 10 pages of poetry. If the sample is not part of the proposed project, an additional 250-word excerpt from the intended project must be included. Fellowship recipients are expected to submit reflections and samples of the work created during the fellowship period. Additionally, confirmation of continued employment in a high school for the 2026–27 academic year is required, along with contact details for school administrators. Fellows may also be invited to share their work through New Literary Project publications and to participate in related programming. The fellowships are sustained by the legacy of Mr. Jack Hazard, whose values emphasized education, storytelling, and community support. By investing in high school teachers who write, the New Literary Project hopes to elevate voices that enrich both classrooms and the broader literary landscape. The program seeks to identify and foster a new generation of writers who, like literary icons such as George Orwell and JK Rowling, began their careers as educators. Questions regarding the fellowship can be directed to jhf@newliteraryproject.org, with the subject line “JHF Application [Your Name].” Diane Del Signore serves as the Executive Director and can be contacted for general inquiries at diane@newliteraryproject.org. Awards are typically disbursed in two installments: $3,500 in late spring and $1,500 in the fall upon submission of final project reflections.

Submit strongest work, ideally related to proposed project.