Given the coronavirus pandemic, we pivoted our 20th anniversary benefit dinner to a live virtual gathering, bringing together Teach For America Greater Chicago-Northwest Indiana corps members, alumni, supporters, partners, and friends. 

You can view a full recording of the program here and explore each portion of the program below. We were inspired by the conversation between alumni Justin Pitts ('13)  and Jennifer Dixon ('02). Justin, an algebra and AP physics teacher at Rowe-Clark Math & Science Academy, expressed his appreciation for his fellow educators. “I work amongst incredible educators, so many of them Teach For America alumni and corps members, who are so deeply passionate about our mission. Without them, this work wouldn’t be possible. Without them, I wouldn’t be here today," Justin says. 

Jennifer, who is the principal of Palmer Elementary, shared her hope for her school community. “At Palmer, we’ve already shattered the notion of any boundaries around what’s possible for our kids. We’ve proven this year after year that we know what we need to do to move our students forward toward their goals no matter what the obstacle is," she says. 

John White (New Jersey, '99), former state superintendent of education in Louisiana and former Greater Chicago-Northwest Indiana executive director, shared how critical the leadership of Teach For America and its members is in this moment: “The necessity of Teach For America has never been higher. Teach For America is the nation’s preeminent vehicle for public leadership development and for leadership in public education.” 

Throughout the rest of the year, we will continue to honor the impact of our members and the incredible work they do to expand educational opportunity for students in Chicago and Northwest Indiana.