To help corps members acclimate to their regions, Teach For America hosts local orientations before and after the summer institutes. Corps members meet in assigned regions and connect with community members, local current corps members, and alumni, locate housing, discuss issues of personal safety, and orient themselves to their neighborhoods. Most regions host a wide variety of events throughout the year with the purpose of creating a strong network for socializing and collaborating. These events may include dinners, barbeques, issue-based workshops, and conferences.
Corps members and alumni say that living in a new community is one of the most memorable and rewarding aspects of their corps experience. They talk about the unique opportunity to live in a different part of the country, to experience a new culture, to make lifelong friends, and to become part of a community they may otherwise never have experienced. For many corps members, the idea of moving to a new community seems overwhelming at first. Nonetheless, most make the adjustment and are very happy they did, despite the practical concerns with which they were struggling.
Hear what corps members have to say about their experience in a new community
Our corps members
Corps and Alumni