Olga Sverdlov is in her second year as a Citizen Schools Teaching Fellow at the McKinley Institute of Technology, a magnet middle school in Redwood City, California. She works with seventh graders on homework, team building, and the exploration of college and careers, and her responsibilities include campus academic programming, field trip coordination, guest speakers, and on-site curriculum.

The Citizen Schools Teaching Fellowship is a service program offering a two-year leadership-development program, including service as a team leader at a Citizen Schools campus, professional development with a partner organization in the community, and the opportunity for enrollment in a master's degree program.