The Astor International Travel Fellowship for New York City Teachers, made possible through a generous gift from Mrs. Brooke Astor, celebrates the accomplishments of full-time classroom teachers in the New York City public schools by awarding them a fully-sponsored educational fellowship with NYU Steinhardt faculty.
2026 Theme: Learning to Listen: Sound Art Across the Curriculum
"Learning to Listen" will provide teachers with practical tools to use sound across subject areas and grade levels. Through hands-on workshops including sound walks, mapping, and field recordings, participants create their own sonic creations and learn to notice the overlooked sounds in our environment. No artistic or musical training needed, just curiosity about how sound shapes our understanding of place and community, making this approach valuable across NYC classrooms.
Following the Fellows' travels in Summer 2026, participants will present about their experiences at a Symposium event in late October 2026. This is an opportunity for the participants to reflect on their travels, share the impact of the program on their pedagogy and classroom practices, and promote innovation in teaching. The symposium is attended by the NYU community, teacher colleagues, and program alumni.
We seek to recruit a diverse cohort of Fellows teaching at all levels and across academic disciplines within the NYC public school system. Please note that Fellows do not receive NYU course credit or continuing education credit.
The application for the 2026 cohort of the Astor Fellowship is now closed. Information about the 2027 theme, destination, and travel dates will be posted in Fall 2026, and applications for the 2027 cohort will open in early December 2026. Please contact Astor.Fellows@nyu.edu with any questions.
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Location
The 2026 cohort will travel to Berlin, Germany.
Dates
The group will depart New York City on July 6 and return on July 16. Fellows are asked to commit to attending 2-3 pre-travel events in Spring 2026, as well as a post-travel Symposium in late October 2026.
Faculty
David Darts, Associate Professor of Art in the Department of Art and Art Professions
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- Sound walks, mapping, and field recordings
- Guest lectures from local artists and academic experts studying sound's historical dimensions
- Visits to local museums and venues, including the Hamburger Bahnhof and MONOM at Funkhaus
- Excursions to unique locations, like the Teufelsberg Listening Station and other repurposed sites
Note that visits to schools and meetings with local teachers are not typically possible, as local schools are on break during the group's time in-country. The listed activities are representative of the general types of experiences the group will undertake while in Berlin. The full itinerary will be shared with the 2026 Fellows closer to the group's departure.
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NYU Steinhardt, through the generous support of the estate of Mrs. Brooke Astor, will cover the following participant expenses:
- Round-trip, economy-class airfare
- Single hotel accommodation for the program dates
- Program activities, including tours, lectures, museum visits, and more
- Ground transportation for official program activities
- Some daily meals
- Supplemental international health insurance
Participants are responsible for the following costs:
- Transportation to/from airports
- Obtaining or renewing a passport and any visa expenses
- Some meals and any personal incidental expenses
- Any independent activities, visits, or transportation outside of official program activities
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Who can participate:
To be eligible to apply for this opportunity, applicants must:
- Be a current, full-time classroom teacher in a New York City public or DOE charter school
- Have completed at least three full years of full-time teaching experience in NYC public and/or DOE charter schools as of the date of application
- Candidates must have completed the 3+ years of full-time teaching as of the time of their application. Individuals who are midway through their third year of teaching are not yet eligible to apply
- Not be a previous recipient of the Astor Fellowship
Please note: School staff other than full-time classroom teachers (i.e., substitute teachers, administrators, counselors, principals, etc.) are not eligible to apply.
Application Process:
To apply, applicants must:
- Provide information about their current teaching position
- Upload a copy of their resume/CV
- Respond to three short-answer essay questions describing:
- The ways in which they anticipate contributing to the Fellows’ collective learning community
- How they will utilize the experiences from the Astor Fellowship in their classroom upon their return
- A classroom activity they have used in the past that is relevant to this year’s theme
- Provide the name and contact information for a professional recommendation. Recommendations should be from a fellow teacher or administrator who currently works (or has previously worked) with the applicant. Recommenders will be asked to confirm the applicant's years of work in NYC public schools, and their recommendation should speak to the applicant's background, current work, and service inside and outside of the classroom
Competitive applications should:
- Discuss how participating in the program will enhance the applicant's practice as a classroom teacher
- Describe the ways the theme relates to the applicant's work
- Demonstrate a critical reflection of the applicant's own cultural identity and its influence on classroom practice
Application Link and Deadline:
The application for the 2026 cohort of the Astor Fellowship is now closed. Information about the 2027 theme, destination, and travel dates will be posted in Fall 2026, and applications for the 2027 cohort will open in early December 2026. Please contact Astor.Fellows@nyu.edu with any questions.
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For questions about the program or application process, please contact astor.fellows@nyu.edu.