Nominations occur during their junior year and selection during their senior year of high school.
Scholars are mentored through their college years and their first five years of teaching. For four consecutive summers, the students attend intensive summer institutes, teaching in Chicago classrooms and attending classes dealing with leading-edge education ideas. The Scholars program partners with 35 colleges and universities throughout Illinois. This program was created and involves participation by winners of the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching, a program that recognizes ten outstanding educators each year. The winning teachers participate in summer institutes that train the new Golden Apple Scholars.