Fund for Teachers - The Podcast

Fund for Teachers is a national nonprofit that awards grants for self-designed fellowships to America's most innovative preK-12 teachers. This is a podcast to elevate these public/private/charter school educators as inspiring architects of their careers, classrooms and school communities.

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Fund for Teachers - The Podcast

Defining Democracy

July 03, 2026 • Carrie Caton • Season 7 • Episode 2

0:00 | 29:17

July has been defined by two stories: the World Cup and America’s 250th anniversary. One has reminded us of what unites people across cultures—the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, and, apparently, a shared appreciation for ranch dressing. The other has prompted us to look back in order to move forward.

At the intersection of those two moments is the Fund for Teachers fellowship of Chandler Brooks-Davis and Cherie Neal, teachers at The Howard School in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Their fellowship took them to Greece and Italy to explore the cultures that shaped democracy, with the goal of helping students understand not only what democracy was intended to be, but how they can strengthen it where that ideal falls short of lived experience.

(Apologies for the slight warbling of sound at times. Athenian WiFI tried its best!)

You can follow Chan and Cherie's odyssey on Instagram @postcardsfromagora

Learn more about Fund for Teachers on our Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn pages and apply for YOUR self-designed fellowship at fundforteachers.org.

Music on podcast: Scott Harris: Clear Progress