American Fidelity picks 15 teachers for 2026 tech fellowship

By AI, Created 10:16 PM UTC, June 01, 2026, /AGP/ – American Fidelity named 15 STEM teachers to its 2026 AF Teacher Fellowship, a two-month summer program in Oklahoma City that places educators on the company’s IT team. The fellowship gives teachers corporate pay, classroom stipends and hands-on experience they can bring back to students.

Why it matters: - The AF Teacher Fellowship is designed to give STEM teachers real workplace exposure so they can better prepare students for high-demand technology careers. - Teachers return to their classrooms with practical examples, including ethical uses of artificial intelligence and insight into IT roles many students may not know about. - The program also gives educators networking opportunities and direct experience with workforce needs in technology.

What happened: - American Fidelity named 15 STEM teachers to the 2026 AF Teacher Fellowship. - The teachers will spend the summer joining American Fidelity’s IT team in Oklahoma City. - The two-month program gives each fellow a corporate salary and a $2,000 classroom stipend. - The fellowship is open to educators from Oklahoma, Missouri and Nebraska.

The details: - The 2026 fellows are Katie Bedford, Nikki Burgett, Elizabeth Chestnut, Crystal Deken, Catie Everson, Erin Hansen, Amen Holman, Tasha Jordan, Chistina Kendrick, Victoria Kitchel, Sarahi Lopez, Bashawn Moore, Jordan Ronspiez, PJ Siharath and Kaitlyn Speh. - Bedford teaches in Fort Zumwalt School District in Missouri. - Burgett teaches at Bradleyville High School in Missouri. - Chestnut teaches in Lawton Public Schools in Oklahoma. - Deken teaches in Perry County School District in Oklahoma. - Everson teaches in Perkins-Tyron Public Schools in Oklahoma. - Hansen teaches in Marietta Public Schools in Oklahoma. - Holman teaches in Oklahoma City Public Schools in Oklahoma. - Jordan teaches in University City School District in Missouri. - Kendrick teaches in Stillwater Public Schools in Oklahoma. - Kitchel teaches in Edmond Public Schools in Oklahoma. - Lopez teaches in Lincoln Public Schools in Nebraska. - Moore teaches in Edmond Public Schools in Oklahoma. - Ronspiez teaches in Noble Public Schools in Oklahoma. - Siharath teaches in Norman Public Schools in Oklahoma. - Speh teaches in Northwest School District in Missouri. - Teachers will rotate through multiple IT departments and roles during the fellowship. - Fellows will also attend company events such as Tech Week and complete a group project with other teachers. - Putnam City Schools teacher Catherine Wade, a 2025 fellow, said the projects are hands-on and can be brought back to the classroom. - Wade said her project focused on the ethical use of AI in the classroom. - Prosper ISD teacher Justin Warren, a 2025 fellow, said the experience exposed him to IT jobs he did not know existed. - Warren said that understanding those jobs helps him teach students about them.

Between the lines: - The fellowship appears aimed at closing the gap between classroom instruction and the skills employers need in IT. - American Fidelity is using teachers as a pipeline for broader STEM awareness, not just as summer interns. - The structure suggests the company wants educators to leave with both technical familiarity and classroom-ready lessons.

What’s next: - The 2026 fellows will spend the summer embedded with American Fidelity’s IT team. - Teachers are expected to take the experience back to their schools and use it to shape student learning. - More information is available through the AF Teacher Fellowship announcement and American Fidelity’s website.