The Teach For America Social Innovation Award is intended to spark bold, new innovations that expand opportunities and eliminate educational inequity for students in low-income communities. The award is a critical component of Teach For America’s broader innovation strategy and recognizes alumni whose work exemplifies innovation, leadership skills, and transformative impact and sustainability.
2012 Winner
GirlTrek is a health movement based in Washington, D.C., started by T. Morgan Dixon (Metro Atlanta Corps '00) and Vanessa Garrison. The organization supports tens of thousands of black women and girls to work together to develop healthy habits, redefine cultural traditions, and contribute to broader conversations about health in America. GirlTrek will receive $125,000 to grow support of walking teams, launch a campaign to promote healthy role models, and train more local leaders to advocate for healthier communities. Follow GirlTrek on Facebook.
2012 Finalists
MPrep is a mobile phone application launched by Toni Maraviglia (New York Corps '05) that allows low income students in Kenya, who don’t have access to books or the most modern technology, to utilize mobile phones to review for their exams and receive feedback from teachers. MPrep will receive $10,000.
The Intersection, founded by Zeke Berzoff-Cohen (Baltimore Corps '08), is a Baltimore-based nonprofit that fosters leadership and shifts career and life expectations for at-risk young people in Baltimore by training them in community-organizing. The Intersection will receive $10,000.
Citizens of the World Charter Schools, founded by Kriste Dragon (Los Angeles Corps '98), is a national network of charter schools that reflects the socioeconomic, racial, and cultural diversity of their communities and offers an interactive, rigorous learning experience for students from all backgrounds. The network is based in Los Angeles and will receive $10,000.
Selection Process
Finalists were selected from a pool of 53 candidates by a panel of external education and entrepreneurship experts as well as staff members at Teach For America. The winner was chosen based on four criteria:
1. Innovation: This idea is truly new or different.
2. Leadership Skills:This individual is the best person to launch and lead the venture.
3. Transformative Impact and Sustainability:This idea has the potential to dramatically impact educational outcomes for low-income students.
4. Idea Development Stage:The award is critical to the successful launching or scaling of the venture.
Social Innovation Award Vision & Objectives
We believe this award will ensure that our most promising early-stage ideas get the support necessary to make significant headway in demonstrating solutions that lead to systemic impact. In particular, the award will help us support aspiring entrepreneurs who may not be able to leverage conventional startup resources.
We also hope this award will inspire more corps members and alumni to think creatively about systemic education problems and apply bold new solutions to those problems.
Supporters
Teach For America is deeply grateful to The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, The Doris & Donald Fisher Fund, and Joyce and Larry Stupski for sponsoring this new award and helping to seed innovation among our growing network of corps members and alumni.
The winner and finalists of the inaugural Teach For America Social Innovation Award discuss what inspired them to launch bold, new ventures and what the award means to them.
Given the magnitude of educational inequity ... we must speed up the pace of change. Our Social Innovation Award aims to do just that by recognizing and fostering entrepreneurial leadership among our alumni to tackle the root causes of the problem and pioneer innovations that will accelerate progress.
