Impact

Penn State among Teach for America's top contributing schools in 2018

Walkway to West Halls Quad at Penn State University Park in Autumn Credit: Ann Taylor-Schmidt / Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State ranks among the nation's top 20 large colleges and universities contributing the most graduates to Teach For America in the teaching corps’ recently released annual rankings of schools. 

Founded in 1990, Teach For America works in partnership with communities to expand educational opportunities for children facing the challenges of poverty. The organization recruits and develops a diverse corps of top college graduates and professionals who make a two-year commitment to teach in low-income urban and rural public schools, and fosters the leadership development of their alumni who go on to work in education and other professional sectors.

For 2018, 30 Penn State alumni are part of a diverse network of 56,000 leaders who are working in high-needs schools nationwide, impacting 53 regions across 36 states and the District of Columbia, and representing more than 680 colleges and universities. Penn State has ranked among the top schools for the past decade. 

Teach For America seeks seniors and graduates from all academic majors and backgrounds who have demonstrated achievement, perseverance, leadership, commitment to educational equity, and a deep respect for diverse experiences and backgrounds.

The organization also reported that this years’ corps is among the most diverse in its history. More than half of incoming corps members identify as people of color. Forty-five percent come from low-income backgrounds and one-in-three are the first in their family to graduate from college.

 

Last Updated September 17, 2018