History
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Corps and Alumni
Colorado
Teach For America teachers bring great energy and dedication into Denver’s highest-need classrooms. The program is an important part of our core strategy of finding, developing, and supporting talented teachers so that they
can drive classroom improvements and really make a difference in the lives of our students.
- Tom Boasberg,
Denver Public Schools Superintendent
Teach For America • Colorado is playing a critical role in improving schools and communities. This year, a corps of more than 180 of the nation’s top recent college graduates is working in underserved schools across Colorado to ensure that students facing the challenges of poverty are given the educational opportunities they deserve. Our alumni are leaders in the classroom, in education more broadly, and across all sectors. Together, they are making educational equity a reality in Colorado. Learn about living and teaching in Colorado.
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Press | |
Corps Impact | |
Alumni Impact | |
Regional Supporters | |
Contact Us | |
Executive Director |
Press
Recent press releases
Recent press coverage
Corps Impact
During the 2009-10 school year, more than 180 corps members are directly impacting the lives of approximately 11,000 students in Colorado. Cecilia Shanahan is one example of the tremendous difference our corps members are making.
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Hilary King (Colorado Corps ’08) Principal Satisfaction
- 83 percent of recently-surveyed principals (in schools with Teach For America corps members) reported that they would hire another Teach For America teacher.*
- 94 percent of principals surveyed regard Teach For America teachers as effective as, if not more effective than, other beginning teachers in terms of overall performance and impact on student achievement.*
*"Teach For America 2009 National Principal Survey,” Policy Studies Associates, July 2009.
Impact on Student Achievement
A growing body of research shows that corps members have a positive impact on their students' achievement. Read more about our impact.
Student Profile*
- Students served who are eligible for free/reduced lunch: 77%
- Students served who are African-American and/or Latino: 86%
*From Denver Public Schools and the Colorado Department of Education and including only the schools where corps members have been placed
Colorado: Corps Member Placement
| Assignment | % of Corps* |
|---|---|
| Pre-K, Kindergarten | 14% |
| Elementary School, Lower (1-2) | 19% |
| Elementary School, Upper (3-5) | 28% |
| Secondary Math | 9% |
| Secondary English | 13% |
| Secondary Science | 13% |
| Secondary Other | 4% |
| Bilingual | 8% |
| ESL | 22% |
| Special Education | 3% |
*Percentages are rounded and do not add up to 100 percent; corps members who teach bilingual, ESL, or special education are also accounted for in the grade-level/subject placement percentages
Characteristics of the 2009 Corps
| Corps Profile |
|---|
| Average GPA: 3.6 |
| Average SAT: 1344 |
| Held leadership roles on campus: 89% |
| People of color: 30% |
*Percentage of senior classes who applied to Teach For America
Alumni Impact
Fostering Alumni Leadership for Systemic Change
As the number of corps members grows, so does our alumni base. By 2010, we will have over 225 Teach For America • Colorado alumni pursuing professional careers and impacting educational reform from every sector.
- Nationally, more than 60 percent of corps members continue to work in education,
including more than 360 who are school leaders. - 93 percent of all alumni report they are supporting Teach For America’s mission
through their career, volunteer activity or graduate study.
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Nicole Veltzé (Bay Area Corps ’93) Regional Supporters
We are grateful to have many supporters who generously contribute to our movement in Colorado. The foundations, corporations and individuals listed below have made it possible for Teach For America to continue to recruit, select, train, and support teachers who are working to eliminate educational inequity in our city.
| Advisory Board |
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| Zachary Neumeyer (Chair) Retired Co-Chairman & CEO Hilton Hotels Corporation |
| Phillip Caplan Founder Urban West Group, Inc. |
| Sean VanBerschot Executive Director Teach For America – Colorado |
| James Kelley President Vestar Capital Partners |
| David Koff Senior Partner InterMedia Partners |
| Mark Smith President East West Partners Denver |
| Corporation, Foundation and Public Support Show more + |
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We thank the following lead corporate supporters for their extraordinary support of our work:
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$500,000 and above |
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| Anschutz Foundation Daniels Fund Walton Family Foundation |
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$100,000 - $199,999 |
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| JFM Foundation Piton Foundation |
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Contact
To support Teach For America • Colorado with a gift or to request additional information about our impact or finances, please contact:
Teach For America • Colorado
Sean VanBerschot, Executive Director
Mahlet Menwyelet, Operations Coordinator
1391 Speer Boulevard
Suite 710
Denver, CO 80204
p 303-893-4483, f 303-893-0414
sean.vanberschot@teachforamerica.org
mahlet.menwyelet@teachforamerica.org
Executive Director
Sean VanBerschot joined Teach For America’s staff in 2004 as executive director in New Mexico. During his three years there, he increased the regional funding base by 200 percent, increased the corps size by 31 percent, and led the corps to reach its benchmarks for student achievement. VanBerschot was a member of the charter Teach For America corps in New Mexico, teaching third and fifth grades in Smith Lake. After completing his corps commitment, he taught sixth grade social studies in Rio Rancho, where he not only led his students to achieve dramatic academic gains, but also was the school’s basketball coach and newsletter editor, served on the superintendent advisory committee, and was active as a community organizer. Prior to joining the corps, VanBerschot received his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Illinois. He went on to earn a master of arts in teaching from Western New Mexico University.
