Teach for America is an Americorp-sponsored program that sends college graduates into inner-city areas with the goal of closing the achievement gap. By sending 9,000 corps members into low-income communities for the past 13 years, the program has been able to impact the lives of 1.25 million students.
Laura Nally, Midwest recruitment director for Teach for America, will be giving an informational meeting concerning the application process, selection criteria and placement information for interested students Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. in the Multicultural Center.
At the meeting, UW alumni of the program will also share their experiences teaching in urban areas. Students from all majors and all years are encouraged to come and get information about what the program has to offer.
“This is one of the only opportunities to change lives right away and to inspire children to go to college. You can be a part of a larger movement without getting off track,” said David Washington, campaign coordinator for Teach for America and a junior at UW.
Because members of the corps only are committed to two years of service, the program gives graduates a unique opportunity to make a difference without sacrificing career opportunities or changing majors.
“I’m an engineer. I can’t teach engineering to sixth graders, but I can teach math or physics to high schoolers,” Washington said.
Zach Duffy, an alumnus of UW with a creative writing degree, was one of the 16 Madison applicants to be matriculated into the program last year. During his first month teaching in the South Side of Chicago, he’s had to deal with behavioral disturbances, learning disabilities and 22 sixth graders, half of whom are failing at least one subject.
“The hardest part is that you can’t see the difference you’re making immediately. Some days I feel like I have no control over my class … but realizing the potential I have to make a difference makes my day,” Duffy said.
Without resources to support students, schools in inner-city areas are struggling to give students the education they will need in today’s competitive job market. If students don’t have health care, nutrition and support at home, their needs further burden schools.
Kids from these communities can be three or four grade levels behind by age nine — that means that a student may only have a kindergarten-level education when he or she is in third grade. As a result, years later, members of low-income communities are seven times less likely to graduate from college.
Although their work is difficult, according to www.teachforamerica.org, 60 percent of the corps members remain in education. The aim of the program is not only to have an immediate impact in the classrooms of urban America, but also to create a community of socially conscious individuals who will continue working to increase the quality of education throughout their lives.
“The biggest goal is to make an immediate impact through the schools by making [corps teachers’] two years effective and then getting them excited about instituting social change from the field of their major,” Nally said.
After last year’s recruitment meeting, there were 115 applicants. Applicants for the program this year must be graduating in the spring semester, maintain a 2.5 GPA and display humility and goal setting throughout their college career.
“So much comes down to the fact that we’re looking for leaders, leaders who will come into the classroom and make a difference,” Nally said.
