Corps Members in Five Regions Honored for Creative Education Practices
For Immediate Release
Contact: Lorraine Anderson | Teach For America
917.567.4835 | lorraine.anderson@teachforamerica.org
NEW YORK , July 14, 2010—Teach For America announced today the recipients of this year’s Symantec Award for Innovation, which recognizes exceptional Teach For America teachers—also known as corps members—who show original thinking and teamwork in the service of increasing student achievement.
The award, sponsored by Symantec Corporation, was established in 2003 to recognize Teach For America corps members who demonstrate innovation (through a project, program, or approach to teaching), collaboration (with fellow teachers, their students' parents, and/or community members), and measurable gains in their students' academic achievement.
“Now more than ever, educators must use innovative techniques to invest their students and foster the most productive learning environment," said Cecily Joseph, director of corporate responsibility at the Symantec Corporation. “The recipients of this year's award exemplify this creativity and commitment. Through our involvement, Symantec hopes to draw attention to their accomplishments and encourage other educators to develop innovative approaches to ensure that all students are learning at the highest level."
"Our corps members commit to going beyond traditional expectations to lead students to academic success, and we are grateful for Symantec’s longstanding support of their work," said Terry Bruner, executive director of Teach For America in Houston. "With this award, Symantec highlights our corps members’ impact in addressing one of our nation’s most pressing injustices: the disparity in educational outcomes that persists along socioeconomic and racial lines."
The Symantec Award for Innovation was launched for Bay Area corps members and expanded to include corps members in Houston, Los Angeles, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C., with at least one winner from each region. The recipients of this year's award are:
- Bay Area Corps: Neil Dandavati (Corps ‘08), Phillip and Sala Burton High School, San Francisco, CA
- D.C. Region Corps: Jackie Dunkelman Wozniak (Corps ‘08), Wheatley Educational Campus, Washington, DC
- Eastern North Carolina Corps: Brittany Beck (Corps ’08), Central Elementary School, Jackson, NC
- Houston Corps: Pega Javidpour (Corps ’08), KIPP Academy Middle School , Houston, TX
- Los Angeles Corps: Nisha Wadwhani (Corps '08), Gompers Middle School, Los Angeles, CA
Teach For America corps members are a diverse group of top college graduates who commit to teach for two years in underserved public schools. With the insights and added commitment gained from their corps experience, they become lifelong advocates for educational excellence and equity. Nearly two-thirds of Teach For America alumni nationwide continue their direct impact in the education field, while others work in policy, law, medicine, and every other sector to effect the broader changes necessary to end educational inequity.
Symantec has partnered with Teach For America on the national and regional level since 1997. Symantec’s national investments help fuel Teach For America’s initiative to improve math and science education in urban and rural communities; its regional investments include a leadership commitment of $1 million over five years to Teach For America in the Bay Area.
About Symantec
Symantec is a global leader in providing security, storage and systems management solutions to help consumers and organizations secure and manage their information-driven world. Our software and services protect against more risks at more points, more completely and efficiently, enabling confidence wherever information is used or stored. More information is available at www.symantec.com.
About Teach For America
Teach For America is the national corps of outstanding recent college graduates who commit to teach for two years in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in expanding educational opportunity. This fall, more than 8,200 corps members will be teaching in 39 regions across the country, while more than 20,000 Teach For America alumni continue working from inside and outside the field of education for the fundamental changes necessary to ensure educational excellence and equity. For more information, visit www.teachforamerica.org.
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