Classroom Leaders

What It's Like to be a Corps Member

Meet corps members teaching across the country and abroad and find out what it's like.

A Challenge that Can Change Your World

Teaching in a high-need classroom is incredibly challenging. Students growing up in low-income communities face the additional challenges of poverty and are often several years behind their peers in higher-income communities.  To succeed, you’ll need to be flexible, focused, and willing to do whatever it takes to help your students achieve the academic growth that will lead to life-changing opportunities. You will struggle in ways you may not have struggled before--but the impact you can make is worth it.

Words from the Corps

Joseph Cucolo, Hawai'i Corps '09
“I am most proud of creating a culture of excellence in my classroom. My students are college ready and have embraced their role as life-long learners.  Everyday we see how the progress we make ties directly to their futures.”

Marissa Alberty, Oklahoma Corps '10
“Every challenge has enabled me to become stronger in some area of my life. Being a corps member is humbling. Every day we are fighting for our students. It's not about us, but about creating opportunities for the next generation.”

Alicia Paulistin, Detroit Corps '02
“It’s been hard. At times I’ve thought of leaving for a different district where it might be easier.  But then I’ve thought, who’ll be there for the kids? They don’t have the opportunity to leave.  So I stay—for the children."

Our Growing Reach

This school year, over 10,000 corps members will lead classrooms in 46 regions across the country and will reach more than 750,000 students. Our growing corps is part of a growing movement to expand educational opportunity, and shows our collective potential to change the status quo.

Nearly 54,000 corps members have taught since 1990, reaching over four million students.

Corps Size and Students Taught

Data valid as of: June 2012