AUSTIN, Texas, September 8, 2020—OneStar Foundation recently announced that it has awarded $620,000 in funding to support Teach For America’s programs in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, the Rio Grande Valley, and San Antonio for the 2020-2021 school year. This grant is part of $18.2 million that Texas received in federal AmeriCorps funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which will be matched by an additional $37.3 million in local resources.  

Teach For America works in partnership with urban and rural communities in more than 50 regions across the country to expand educational opportunity for children. The organization has been part of the Texas fabric since 1991, when the first corps members came to the Rio Grande Valley and Houston regions, and became a part of the AmeriCorps network when the program launched in 1994. Today, Teach For America has a presence in Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio as well in addition to alumni leading in Austin and nearly every corner of the state.  Sustained partnerships between district leaders, the community, donors and family members, have enabled Teach For America to play a contributing role in increasing student outcomes including graduation rates and student achievement.

This year, more than 620 Teach For America AmeriCorps members are leading local classrooms throughout the state, while an additional 4,000 Teach For America alumni are working in education and other sectors to expand educational opportunity throughout Texas. Among that alumni leadership force, over 77 percent work in roles impacting education or low-income communities.  

“Given the challenges facing Texans today and, in the year, ahead, our partnership with OneStar and AmeriCorps is especially important,” said Robert Carreon, Vice President of Public Affairs in Texas for Teach For America. “Our members are choosing public service and leadership in a time of significant uncertainty and have committed to making a difference for Texas students.  AmeriCorps funding contributes to an increasingly diverse teaching force in Texas through Teach For America, teachers who are agile and committed to the educational and emotional needs of their students.”

“National service is an essential part of the solution to many of the challenges facing our state,” said Chris Bugbee, President & CEO of OneStar Foundation. “These AmeriCorps members will serve and support thousands of students during this untraditional school year, as they develop civic and leadership skills to last a lifetime. We are proud of our longstanding partnership with Teach For America and thank all those who serve local Texas communities through AmeriCorps.”

The Corporation for National and Community Service will make available an additional $3.8 million in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards for the Teach For America AmeriCorps members funded by these grants. After completing a full term of service, AmeriCorps members earn an award of approximately $6,195 that they can use for college or to pay off student loans.  The AmeriCorps education award enables Teach For America to recruit a diverse set of corps members to Texas. In 2019, nearly fifty percent of corps members in Texas received Pell grants and many are the first in their families to attend college.