For Immediate Release
Contact: Kaitlin Gastrock | Teach For America
646-315-1396 | kaitlin.gastrock@teachforamerica.org
PHILADELPHIA, August 22, 2012– Teach For America today announced that Eric Hamscher, math teacher at Antonia Pantoja Charter School, was awarded a fellowship with Lincoln Financial Group, a financial services firm and Teach For America national corporate partner based in the Philadelphia region.
Hamscher joined Teach For America in 2011 and began teaching eighth grade math to more than 50 students at Antonia Pantoja Charter School in North Philadelphia. Last year in his first year of teaching, Hamscher helped his students gain confidence in their ability to understand and apply math, and his students more than doubled their math proficiency scores on benchmark exams in just one school year. A graduate of Washington & Lee University, Hamscher is currently pursuing his teaching certificate at the University of Pennsylvania.
“Eric exemplifies the tireless commitment to educational excellence and unflagging effort that corps members strive to bring to their classrooms day in and day out,” said Tre Johnson, executive director of Teach For America in Greater Philadelphia. “We’re deeply grateful for Lincoln Financial’s continued support, which enables math teachers like Eric to broaden the educational opportunity available to their students facing all the challenges of poverty.”
The Lincoln Financial Fellow program is part of a comprehensive partnership with Teach For America, through which employees enhance Lincoln’s $1million financial commitment by engaging with students and teachers in their classrooms. As the Lincoln Financial Fellow for the 2012 – 2013 school year, Hamscher will work with Lincoln Financial employees in the Greater Philadelphia area on special activities to support student learning including establishment of a Lincoln Pen Pal program – an initiative that has been successful with the students of Teach For America corps members in Hartford, Connecticut – that will broaden students’ awareness of careers in math.
Head of Corporate Responsibility Nancy Rogers commented, “Great things are being achieved every day by students and teachers in classrooms across the country, and we are honored to play a part in ensuring that all children receive an excellent education. With the selection of a math teacher as the Lincoln Financial Fellow, we hope to help students understand the importance of math, and to see the career opportunities it can offer them. We are proud to work in partnership with Teach For America. Together, we can create a lasting impact on education across the nation.”
About Teach For America
Teach For America works in partnership with communities to expand educational opportunity for children facing the challenges of poverty. Founded in 1990, Teach For America recruits and develops a diverse corps of outstanding individuals of all academic disciplines to commit two years to teach in high-need schools and become lifelong leaders in the movement to end educational inequity. This fall, more than 10,000 corps members will be teaching in 46 urban and rural regions across the country, while nearly 28,000 alumni are working across sectors to ensure that all children have access to an excellent education. For more information, visit our website and follow us on Facebookand Twitter.
About Lincoln Financial Group
Lincoln Financial Group is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC) and its affiliates. With headquarters in the Philadelphia region, the companies of Lincoln Financial Group had assets under management of $168 billion as of June 30, 2012. Through its affiliated companies, Lincoln Financial Group offers: annuities; life, group life, disability and dental insurance; 401(k) and 403(b) plans; savings plans; and comprehensive financial planning and advisory services. For more information, including a copy of our most recent SEC reports containing our balance sheets, please visit www.LincolnFinancial.com.
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