Funding to Support Training of 35 New Teachers Entering Rhode Island Classrooms This Fall
For Immediate Release
Contact: Kaitlin Gastrock | Teach For America
(646) 315-1396 | kaitlin.gastrock@teachforamerica.org
PROVIDENCE, R.I., June 30, 2010—Teach For America announced today that the Bank of America Charitable Foundation has provided a $150,000 grant to support the training and professional development of Teach For America’s charter teacher corps in Rhode Island. These 35 new teachers will begin work this fall in the Providence Public School District and Democracy Prep Charter School, reaching approximately 2,200 students. They are among more than 4,500 new Teach For America corps members nationwide, the largest incoming corps in the organization’s 20-year history.
Teach For America recruits, trains, and supports top college graduates who commit to teach for two years in underserved public schools and become lifelong leaders in the movement for educational equity. This year’s incoming corps members were chosen through a highly selective process that attracted a record 46,000 applicants. At more than 120 colleges and universities, more than 5 percent of the senior class applied, including 12 percent of all seniors at Ivy League universities and 13 percent of seniors at Brown University. The applicant pool also included more than 20 seniors from Providence College.
“We’re thrilled to partner with the Bank of America Charitable Foundation to expand educational opportunity for Rhode Island students,” said Heather Tow-Yick, executive director of Teach For America in Rhode Island. “Bank of America’s generous support will help us prepare our corps members to lead their students to high levels of academic achievement.”
“Our support of Teach For America is based on a shared commitment to youth development, particularly in underserved communities,” said William Hatfield, Bank of America Rhode Island president. “This new group of teachers will have a real and lasting impact on thousands of Rhode Island students, building on the organization’s two decades of success across the country.”
A growing body of rigorous research demonstrates the effectiveness of Teach For America teachers. A new study from the University of North Carolina compares the effects on student achievement of graduates from the UNC teacher-preparation system with teachers from other pathways, including Teach For America. At every grade level and subject studied, students taught by Teach For America corps members did as well as or better than those taught by the traditionally prepared graduates. Middle school math students of Teach For America teachers received the equivalent of an extra half-year of learning.
Beyond their impact as corps members, two-thirds of Teach For America alumni remain in education, leading schools, winning accolades as teachers, and serving in other roles at the forefront of the movement for educational equity.
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.
Bank of America Corporate Philanthropy
Building on a long-standing tradition of investing in the communities it serves, last year Bank of America embarked on a new, ten-year goal to donate $2 billion to nonprofit organizations engaged in improving the health and vitality of their neighborhoods. Bank of America approaches investing through a national strategy called "neighborhood excellence" under which it works with local leaders to identify and meet the most pressing needs of individual communities. Bank associate volunteers contributed more than 800,000 hours in 2009 to enhance the quality of life in their communities nationwide. For more information about Bank of America Corporate Philanthropy, please visit www.bankofamerica.com/foundation.
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