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What Is Teach For America All About?

Hint: It’s all about people who are passionate about working toward educational equity and supporting each other.

By The TFA Editorial Team

July 30, 2019

What Teach For America Means to Me

Discovering a network of passionate, committed people. Working alongside educators who share the same mission. Alumni and corps members share what their Teach For America experience means to them.

Teach For America was founded in 1990 on the belief in the potential of all children and their right to an excellent education. Teach For America finds and trains outstanding leaders—known as corps members—who commit to expanding educational opportunity, beginning with at least two years of teaching in an under-resourced public school. 

Teaching is an incredibly challenging, humbling, but ultimately rewarding experience. As corps members work to make a positive impact on their students, they end up learning so much in return. These two years in the classroom are transformational, and the experiences and skills gained in the classroom can be applied to countless endeavors in life.

“When I look at Teach For America, I see this collection of remarkable, passionate, committed adults.”

Tom Torkelson
Rio Grande Valley Corps Member 1997

 

Join Teach For America

Become part of our movement of leaders redefining opportunity for their students. Apply to teach in the Teach For America corps today! 

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Informed and inspired by their students, Teach For America’s network of nearly 60,000 alumni continues to advocate for children from classrooms, schools, and every sector and field that shapes the broader systems in which schools operate. Teach For America alumni go on to become veteran educators--including many state teachers of the year, principals, school systems leaders, and school founders--as well as doctors, lawyers, and policymakers, all of whom play essential roles in creating opportunity for children. This is how change happens



Read our stories of impact to learn more about how Teach For America corps members and alumni are helping to expand access for all children. If you’re interested in joining the corps today, read more about our deadlines, eligibility requirements, application process, and how to apply.

“Thousands of alumni, thousands of new corps members that are waking up with the same mission.”

David Nungary
San Antonio Corps Member 2010