Become a
Building Tomorrow Uganda Fellow
Our Fellows are the backbone of our work. For two-year deployments, Fellows live in rural Uganda and work to mobilize communities around primary education by recruiting and training Community Education Teams, enrolling out-of-school children in school, and advocating for quality and inclusive education.
The next opportunity to apply will be August 2026.
BT Fellow James teaches students gardening as part of a Fellows project in Hoima District.
Who is a Building Tomorrow Fellow?
Building Tomorrow Fellows are recent university graduates, no older than 25, within two years of their university graduation, who are passionate about community-powered education.
Fellows represent Building Tomorrow in rural communities and act as community mobilizers, trainers, and leaders with the goal of making sure all primary-age children can read, write, and do basic math.
Cohort 8 Fellow Maureen Namale reads a storybook with learners at Kyakatebe Primary School in Kassanda District, Uganda.
What do Fellows do?
Our Fellows are the driving force behind our far-reaching impact.
After completing 1.5 months of intensive training, Fellows are deployed to rural Ugandan communities in clusters of five for a two-year term. Once in their assigned Districts, they spend time integrating into their communities by building trust with local leaders, schools, and government officials.
Each Fellow supports four schools in their district, with each school connected to four nearby villages – meaning one Fellow serves a total of four schools and 16 villages. To deliver our signature Roots to Rise literacy and numeracy program, Fellows recruit and train Community Education Volunteers to work in community camps, and prepare two teachers at each school to lead instruction in school camps.
By cultivating strong, trusting relationships with school leadership, local leaders, and Community Education Volunteers, Fellows oversee program delivery, support teachers and volunteers, troubleshoot challenges, and advocate for active community engagement in education.
R2R teachers pose with C9 Fellow Ronald after an R2R school camp in Bugweri District, Uganda.
What does it take to be a Fellow?
Fellows are determined, creative, and thoughtful leaders who champion learning and Building Tomorrow’s mission of community-powered education.
To be a Fellow, you also must be:
Requirement 1:
Requirement 2:
Requirement 3:
How do we support Fellows?
We prioritize supporting our Fellows with the resources and training they need to succeed.
Prior to deploying for their two-year Fellowship, Fellows receive intensive leadership training through the Ugandan National Leadership Training Institute (NALI) for two weeks before one month of training from Building Tomorrow staff on program, techniques, and strategy for community engagement and implementation.
Fellows live in a furnished cluster home in their District along with four other Fellows for the duration of their Fellowship. They also receive a living stipend, airtime and mobile data, and a motorcycle to use for the duration of the Fellowship, which serves as the main conduit of transport for moving between communities.
Fellows are supported in their District by Regional Coordinators who are permanent members of our staff who live and work in the District they support. Regional Coordinators are former Fellows who know the role intimately and are there to support and help problem-solve with Fellows.
Fellow James teaches learners smart agriculture as a incentive for them to consistently attend school.
Cohort 8 Fellow, Ruth Kwagala, speaks to learners in Luuka District, Uganda.
Ruth Kwagala, Former Building Tomorrow Fellow, Cohort 8
“My Fellowship gave me something no university program could: a hands-on experience in community-driven development. I learned that sustainable change happens slowly, through relationships and trust-building, not quick fixes. The communities I served in Luuka District taught me as much as I taught them. Now, when I see volunteers I trained are still running camps three years later, and the teachers I worked with have trained others in turn, I feel very proud.”
Cohort 10 Fellow Okello Pascal comments on what drives him as a BT Fellow.
Okello Pascal, Cohort 10 Fellow in Hoima District, Uganda
“As a Fellow, I am empowered to connect my passion for community well-being with the mission of community-powered learning. This journey fuels my belief in a future where every child achieves literacy and numeracy, with inspiration, mentorship, and leadership development serving as pivotal instruments of my [professional] growth to serve with purpose every day.”
R2R teacher Kunya Anthony leads a R2R numeracy camp in Kaliro District, Uganda.
When can you apply?
Applications open in mid-August for the following year’s Fellowship in Uganda and stay open for approximately two weeks.
The Fellowship is highly competitive, and we receive numerous qualified applicants each year. Upon reviewing applications, our team will reach out to our short-listed candidates for interviews.
The next opportunity to apply will be August 2026.
Frequently asked questions about our Ugandan Fellowship
Are there age limits for the Fellowship?
Am I still eligible to apply for the Uganda Fellowship if I do not have a degree in Education?
Can someone who has not yet graduated still apply to be a Building Tomorrow Uganda Fellow?
Are individuals with a diploma or any qualification lower than a Bachelor's degree eligible for the Fellowship?
Does the Fellowship program only consider recent graduates?
How can I learn more about the application process?
Each application cycle, we hold a virtual Question and Answer (Q&A) session, during which participants can inquire about the Fellowship. There is one Q&A session per application season, and information about when the session is held and how to sign up for it will be listed on the hiring page.
I cannot attend the virtual Q&A session. Am I still eligible to apply?
Where will I be placed if I am selected to be a Building Tomorrow Fellow?
How long is the Fellowship?
If I currently have a job or plan to pursue a study scholarship starting next year, am I still eligible to apply?
How do Fellows get around?
If I don't know how to ride a motorcycle, can I still join the Fellowship?
Will I be compensated?
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