The Alumni Hub serves as a baseline launchpad that is external-facing and requires no log in. While there are career opportunities and employer partners visible on this platform, they represent only about 10% of those offered on TFA Career Connect and are intended as a preview of what we can offer.
You can suggest content updates for the Alumni Hub by visiting this page and submitting the content you would like to see on the Alumni Hub.
The Alumni Hub is a launchpad for the TFA alumni network that is open and accessible to all. Content includes:
For more information on the regions where corps members teach, including the ability to filter regions by your specific needs, visit our Corps Member Placement Map powered by Avela.
We currently place corps members in more than 40 regions with over 60 placement communities. When you apply, share your region(s) of interest. Use our Compare Regions tool to see details like cost of living, salary, required GPA, and summer training dates.
After you are invited to interview, finalize your placement community selection(s). While one selection is required, you may select up to two additional options that you're also excited about. Use the Explore Map, powered by Avela, to explore all placement communities and filter by criteria that are important to you.
While all our regions are meaningfully invested in the impact of their local alumni networks, select regions are focusing on a new approach to alumni leadership, learning, and impact, and not bringing in a corps at this time.
Alumni Innovation Regions will focus primarily on developing alumni-specific programming as a key lever to drive local impact. Their efforts will produce insights and accelerate organizational learning to reach our 10 year goal: By 2030, twice as many children in communities where we work will reach key educational milestones indicating they are on a path to economic mobility and a future filled with possibility.
Click on a region below to learn about the region's history, community, and impact in greater detail.
Now that you've imagined the possibilities, be the first to know when the application opens this August.
Over the summer, TFA will help you get ready for the memorable day when you'll first meet your students. Our initial training program is designed to help you be an effective beginning teacher on day one and consists of three phases: onboarding, kick-off, and learning, teaching, and refinement.
Onboarding starts the day you accept your TFA offer and continues into your first few months of teaching. Over several months, you will receive teacher training, obtain your initial teaching certification, and learn ways to center equity in the classroom. Onboarding ensures that you can successfully transition into the classroom and provide a learning environment where all students have the opportunity to thrive.
Regional onboarding: During this time, you will connect with staff from your placement region. Your regional teams will provide you with everything you need to know to teach on the first day of school. This includes:
National onboarding: Around the same time, you’ll participate in our national Pre-Service training. Here, you and other incoming corps members across America will learn how to incorporate and elevate racial equity in education, starting in your classroom. This includes:
To help you stay on top of important milestones, your regional Teach For America staff will help you smoothly transition into your classroom. Support from your region includes:
While we support you in various ways as you take steps to become a qualified teacher, your responsibilities during the onboarding process include:
Join the entire Teach For America corps from across the country for a week of live, virtual and in-person kick-off experiences. You’ll be welcomed into our thriving, diverse, and inclusive community of leaders and begin to build friendships and camaraderie with fellow corps members and alumni that will support and sustain you as you embark on your first year of teaching.
Some scenes from our 2023 kick-off event, including keynote speaker Yara Shahidi and a student performance from McHi Mariachi Oro.
Our Pre-Service training will prepare you to provide your students with a high-quality education and to pursue a lifetime commitment to advancing educational equity and excellence. Throughout the summer and into the fall, you will build relationships with a network of systems-change leaders. You will engage in continuous and critical self-reflection and immediately put the lessons you learn into action in the classroom and beyond.
Pre-Service training is rigorous—but it pays off. You will establish a strong foundation that you will continue to hone throughout your time as a corps member. You will also build context and confidence that will help you quickly acclimate to your teaching environment when the school year begins.
You will begin your full-time summer training in partnership with other corps members, alumni, and staff from across our network. You will engage in experiences like planning and rehearsing lessons, participating in group discussions, watching videos and models of teaching, and learning new concepts and practices through collaborative adult learning experiences.
Summer Training start dates. Regions are grouped into two waves of training start dates: Wednesday, May 20, and Wednesday, June 10. You can view training start dates for each region using our Compare Regions tool.
In the spring, you will gain access to our central learning platform to begin your Pre-Service training. You will engage in asynchronous learning—on your own time and at your own pace—to build the foundations for the rest of your training. You will cover topics including:
Regions offer varying levels of support during this phase. On a national level, we ensure all corps members have access to our central learning platform and support with technical issues
You will continue your self-directed learning throughout your Pre-Service training experience, deepening your content knowledge and expertise.
Corps members should focus on building their understanding of the broad concepts they will dive more deeply into throughout the rest of training. They are laying the foundational framework for the entirety of their training and learning
Corps members will spend time learning in virtual live training with other corps members who share a similar context. They will learn alongside other corps members from their region and those from other regions teaching the same grade level and subject.
You will be supported by other corps members, alumni, and staff from across our network. You will build strong partnerships with your coach, content facilitator, and your regional team, who will all help guide and support you in your development.
You will engage in sessions led by alumni and staff members and participate in experiences like planning and rehearsing lessons, participating in group discussions, watching videos and models of teaching, and learning new concepts and practices through collaborative adult learning experiences.
You will be focused on the following areas:
Content-specific development: You will learn what excellent, equitable, and relevant instruction looks like in your grade and content area, and prepare to lead instruction for your students.
Learning environment: You will work to co-create equitable learning environments that foster your students’ social, emotional, and academic development. Creating an equitable learning environment that is emotionally, intellectually, and physically safe for students is the bedrock of all that teachers do.
Your learning will be grounded in the science of learning and development and centered on building relationships with your students, as you explore topics related to child development, trauma-informed practices, and social-emotional learning. You will continue to build your judgment and skill as an aspiring culturally relevant practitioner as you plan, practice, implement, and reflect on your summer classroom learning environment. You will explore how your decisions around actions, systems, and routines within the learning environment foster student belonging and increase equity of access to learning for all students.
Curricular literacy: You will develop your ability to read and implement a curriculum, including all its lesson plans and materials, with educational equity and your individual students in mind.
You will learn how to understand a curriculum and what goals your students are trying to reach. Then, as you develop your content expertise and increased self-awareness, you will learn how to analyze and make changes to your curriculum so you teach in a way that is rigorous, responsive, and relevant to your students’ identities, cultures, learning strengths and needs, and social-emotional needs.
Leadership development: You will explore our “Theory of Leadership” and learn how your role as an educator will help you build foundational skills and experiences for changing the systems that contribute to educational inequity.
You will spend a large part of your full-time training teaching students during your Practicum. Your Practicum experience is led by your regional team and is your first opportunity to work directly with students and families. You will put into practice the knowledge and skills you have developed through teaching students in a supportive environment. You will strengthen your relationships with your fellow corps members and staff members in your region. Practicum is also a time for you to learn more about your local context and prepare for teaching in your region!
Observations and Coaching: Teach For America instructional staff will regularly observe your teaching throughout Practicum and engage you in feedback conversations. Together you’ll discuss areas for development and concrete plans to increase student learning as you develop your teaching skills. You will also continue to virtually meet with your content facilitators.
You will put into practice the knowledge and skills you have developed through teaching students in a supportive environment. You will focus on the learning and growth of your students, and your role as a teacher and leader in the classroom.
This is what you need to teach on day one. To receive your initial license, you’ll be required to pass your grade level and subject exam. This may vary by region.
While you can start teaching with your initial license, most states require you to be working toward your full certification. During your first year of teaching, you will enroll in a certification program at a university, partner organization, or with TFA. Most certification programs are completed within two years.
Many of our corps members are considered “non-traditional” teachers since they haven't completed a traditional course of study in education before starting in the classroom.
This means you will have to earn an initial teaching license to get hired as a teacher in your region.
Regional Teach For America staff members in your assigned region will help guide you through the process, including fulfilling requirements and meeting local deadlines. They will also help by:
In order to earn an initial teaching license, you will need to pass state exams and will likely be required to complete education coursework while you’re teaching. During this time, you will be responsible for:
If you do not pass your exams, you will need to retake them. In some cases, you may need to defer your start date until you pass all required exams.
While your initial teaching license will allow you to teach in the fall, most regions require you to work toward a full teaching certification to remain in compliance with state requirements. The process for becoming certified typically takes one to two years and begins as soon as you accept your offer to join the corps.
Regional Teach For America staff members will provide the information and help needed to streamline the certification acquisition process for you. To obtain your teaching certification, you can complete coursework through a local college or university, or through another provider such as a local school district. Each state has different requirements and rules regarding earning credentials.
Certification programs vary from region to region, and generally fall into three categories: University, TFA Program, or a Hybrid Program (this will vary by region).
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University Corps members complete certification through their region's certification partner, usually a local university. |
TFA Program Corps members complete their certification directly through Teach For America. |
Hybrid Program Corps members take some courses through a university partner, but still complete their certification through Teach For America. |
You will likely be required to attend courses during evenings and weekends throughout all or part of your two years in the corps. During this time, you will be responsible for:
Consider what type of program matters to you most when indicating your regional preferences on your application.
If you already have a teaching license in another state, your region can also provide more information on transferring your license. The certification reciprocity process and requirements vary from state to state. Frequently, reciprocity will require a copy of the out-of-state teaching certificate, a copy of their transcripts, and a possible record of professional experience.
Our regional staff will support corps members through the reciprocity process. You will be responsible for gathering the necessary documents to submit your application.
You may also have the option of extending your certification into a Master’s degree while serving in the corps. Select a region to learn more about options for becoming certified and earning a master’s degree.
As a corps member, you will be hired as a full-time employee by your school, district, or charter organization—not Teach For America. Your salary and benefits will be the same as other beginning teachers working for your employer and will come from the school, district, or charter organization.
Each region has partnerships with local school districts that hire Teach For America corps members. In order to gain employment as a teacher, you will need to go through a hiring process which may include applying for open teaching positions and interviewing with principals and other staff within these partner schools.
The timeline for when you'll be hired varies widely from region to region. Hiring usually takes place between the time you join the corps and before the school year starts in the fall.
Regional Teach For America staff will support you during the hiring process by:
During this time, you will be responsible for:
You’ll be paid the same as other beginning teachers working for the same employer. Salaries typically range from $32,000 to $72,000, depending on where you teach. You can use this tool to compare average salaries across regions.
While urban areas tend to offer higher salaries, the cost of living is also higher. Salaries in rural areas tend to be lower, but you’ll likely spend less on rent and other expenses.
Also as a full-time teacher, you are entitled to medical benefits through your employer. Plans and costs vary, depending on where you teach.
Most employers offer:
Depending on where you teach and when the school year begins there, you can expect your first paycheck between late August and late September. This means it can take from 3-6 weeks after the start of the school year to receive your first paycheck.
As with any new job, you should prepare for expenses that might arise before your first paycheck. You should anticipate expenses specific to becoming a teacher, as well as those related to moving to your region and initial living expenses.
Corps members will incur teaching-specific expenses, including testing, background checks, and more. Including the cost of certification, you should anticipate general living costs before, during, and after Pre-Service training. This can include rent, travel to and from your region, car expenses, moving expenses, and more.
You should plan to pay for these expenses out-of-pocket. View cost ranges on our explore regions map.
We want you to be able to focus on training and student impact, not worry about finances. In addition to earning a full salary and benefits from your district, TFA provides financial support to help you get settled in your new community. These financial incentives include:
Baseline Stipend
Teach For America provides every incoming corps member with a baseline stipend of $3,000–$6,500 (amount varies by region). This stipend is designed to help with upfront costs and living expenses during summer training, which is unpaid. The stipend is automatically disbursed before summer training begins—no application required.
Need-Based Support
Incoming corps members with additional financial need may receive need-based financial support to supplement their baseline stipend and further reduce the cost of transitioning into the corps.
During your first year of teaching, your primary focus will be on developing your teacher leadership skills and producing uncommon levels of growth in your students. That growth occurs across several dimensions and TFA coaches help corps members to learn to set goals and track their students progress against them:
To support you in this important work, Teach For America supplements the development you are provided at your school site and gives you access to a variety of resources designed to be customized to meet the unique assets and needs of our diverse communities.
Building on all of the resources from the first year, you’ll begin to explore post-corps leadership pathways that speak to your specific passions, skills, and interests. Because solving the systemic challenge of educational inequity requires leadership inside and outside of the educational system, the leadership pathways you might explore reflect a variety of sectors and careers. You’ll select one leadership pathway to explore throughout the year. This exploration may take the form of online coursework, readings, speaker series, and other experiences in cohorts of corps members both in your region and across the country.
These pathways may evolve according to corps member interest, but currently include:
• Reinventing education and pursuing education leadership: careers in teaching, school leadership, and school system leadership
• Civic leadership: careers in public policy, advocacy, elected office, and community organizing
• Climate and environmental justice: careers with local and international organizations, nonprofit leadership
• Medicine and health: careers in medicine as doctors, PAs, nurses, medical/health research
• Legal careers and advocacy: careers in law, politics, advocacy, non-profit leadership
In addition, your local TFA staff will host opportunities to learn about the specific leadership needs in your placement community and provide access to supports specific to that community, should you choose to live and work there beyond your initial two years of teaching. If you know you’ll be moving to another community where TFA has a presence, you’ll have access to TFA staff and alumni in your new community as well as virtual career support. And no matter where you live, you’ll have access to our network and a set of virtual career supports
Teaching goes beyond what you do in front of the classroom. The relationships you form while working closely with kids open doors to new paths that can change the direction of their lives–and yours.
"It means the world to have the opportunity to work with students in the community that I grew up in. I am able to be a representation of hope."
"[I exit] the doors with a sense of peace and fulfillment from the work I did that day…Teaching is hard, but what other profession allows you to work with young people every single day and support them on their life journey?"
"Working with the students gives me joy and hope in a way that nothing I've ever done does. I’ve been through a lot this year in my personal life. And on my worst days, even if getting out of bed is the hardest thing in the world, that connection with my students feels so whole. It makes me so happy."
"I will never forget my high school teacher Mr. Snyder, who first exposed me to coding in his classroom and spiraled me down my lifelong passion for computer science. I know firsthand the impact that one good teacher can make, and I aspire to be the same for my students."
A classroom is a community–and the students you teach are shaped by the neighborhoods they call home. Getting involved with students, their families, and your community will shape your experience as an educator and create a world where kids can truly flourish.
As a corps member, you can connect with regional and national TFA networks to support your goals and positively change systemic issues to impact student learning.
Start your journey by checking your eligibility to join the corps!
That’s okay. We have time to get to know each other. If you like talking things over, we invite you to speak to one of our recruiters. If you want to stay low-key and learn more about us, attend one of our events.
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