Keep Pakistan Learning

Dear Partners,

We hope you and your loved ones are doing well. It has been an exciting time at Teach For Pakistan, filled with new energy in classrooms and powerful moments of reflection and transition. These moments remind us that the movement to reimagine education for every child is growing stronger every day, and we are deeply grateful to have you with us on this journey. 

A Growing Movement of Leaders

This July, over 100 new Fellows joined the Teach For Pakistan movement. Over the next two years, they will teach full-time in underserved classrooms, working in partnership with students, families, and school communities to expand opportunities for the children they serve.

Their journey has just begun at our six-week Training Institute: an intensive and immersive experience designed to prepare Fellows to teach and lead with purpose, empathy, and skill. More than just preparation for teaching, the Training Institute lays the foundation for the kind of leadership this movement needs. It is here that Fellows begin to see education differently: not simply as better lesson plans or stronger classroom systems, but as the creation of learning spaces that are inclusive, student-centered, and full of possibility. They explore how children learn, how to teach for true understanding, and how the work of one classroom connects to the larger vision for equity and justice. 

From Classrooms to Systems

As these new Fellows begin their journey, 50 others have just completed theirs, joining our growing Alumni community of changemakers and leaders. These Alumni leave with deep relationships, lived experience, and an enduring belief in what is possible for Pakistan’s children. Many are stepping into influential roles in public service, education leadership, and social innovation. Their next chapter - creating systemic change for thousands more children - is built on the foundation you helped make possible.

Together, these two milestones - new Fellows stepping into classrooms and Alumni stepping into leadership - capture the heart of Teach For Pakistan’s mission. We are building a movement of leaders who begin by teaching, grounded in the daily realities of students and schools, and who continue by working for lasting, systemic change. 

Building on a Legacy of Impact

As our newest Fellows step into classrooms this year, we reflect on the work of those who came before them: the systems they built, the cultures they shaped, and the growth they experienced as leaders. Their presence has not only transformed schools but also left a lasting impact on the way students learn and teachers collaborate.

School principals, with whom Fellows have worked, shared stories of meaningful transformation. In our most recent Principal survey, they overwhelmingly reported that Fellows strengthened school culture, motivated other teachers, and brought in effective classroom systems that improved student engagement. Principals described Fellows as thoughtful, prepared, and deeply committed to their students. Many highlighted how Fellows encouraged regular parental involvement and created learning environments where students felt supported, motivated, and seen. Several principals expressed excitement about welcoming more Fellows in the future, noting the positive influence Fellows had on staff morale and the overall school community.

Fellows reflected this growth in their end-of-year surveys as well. They shared that consistent and meaningful coaching and structured opportunities for reflection allowed them to stay grounded in their purpose and think critically about their teaching practices. These moments of reflection kept them focused on what matters most: transforming their students’ learning and nurturing their leadership potential.

Evidence from Independent Research

An independent multi-year study by the RAND Corporation affirms these experiences. Their research found that Teach For Pakistan Fellows contribute to stronger student learning outcomes, create more supportive and structured classroom environments, and encourage greater collaboration among teachers. The Fellowship model is not just transforming student outcomes but also the wider school environment and learning cultures. These findings are helping us refine our model with greater clarity, accountability, and care, ensuring that each new cohort of Fellows builds on this foundation of impact.

Fellow Shireen’s Classroom: From Asking to Believing

In a government school in Islamabad's outskirts, 2024 Fellow, Shireen began her journey teaching English to Grades 4 and 6. In her first week as a Fellow teacher, her students posed a question that stayed with her: “Why don’t we get the same resources as children in other schools?” It wasn’t just a question about textbooks. It reflected a growing awareness of the inequities they had inherited. Fellow Shireen decided to meet her students where they were, creating space for honest conversations, encouraging small risks like asking a question or reading aloud, and helping students reflect on what they were capable of. As students began to feel seen and heard, something shifted. They started showing up differently: coming to class more regularly, trying again after mistakes, and telling each other, “We can do it too.”

What followed was a slow but steady transformation. The classroom became a space of shared effort, where students worked together, led group projects, and ended lessons with chants that reminded them to believe in themselves. Confidence replaced hesitation, and pride replaced silence. For Fellow Shireen, leadership was no longer about control; it became about community and care. And while her students found their voice, Shireen found her own. The Fellowship, she reflects, has not only transformed her classroom, it has transformed her too.

Fellows Aaisha and Zahra Reimagining Teaching

At their placement school in Karachi, Fellows Aaisha and Zahra saw that classroom management often relied on control and punishment. There was little space for student voice, and positive caregiving was rarely part of the teaching approach. When they began using practices like group work, encouragement, and inquiry-based learning, change didn’t happen overnight. But over time, their classrooms began to look and feel different. Students grew more engaged, more confident, and more invested in their learning.

Their school leadership took notice and the principal invited them to lead a teacher training focused on building supportive classroom culture and rethinking discipline. Teachers listened, reflected, and began testing new approaches. In the days that followed, staff room conversations and classroom management practices started to shift. For the Fellows, this was a reminder that real change begins in a single classroom, but doesn’t have to end there. When teachers lead with intention and care, they don’t just transform learning, they transform what’s possible for our children.

Looking Ahead

Thank you for being an essential part of this journey. Because of your support, students are beginning to believe in their own potential and to reach for opportunities they once thought were out of reach.

As we step into a new school year, we carry with us the momentum of this growing movement and the unwavering belief that, together, we can create a future where every child is seen, valued, and equipped to shape their own path. Your partnership makes this vision possible, and we are excited to continue this work with you for the children who need it most.

Links:

• Inside our six-week Training Institute for new Fellows
• Read this Independent Study measuring Fellows' classroom impact