Difference between revisions of "Teach For America"
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==Phi Sigma Pi and Teach For America Partnership== | ==Phi Sigma Pi and Teach For America Partnership== | ||
| − | During the 2003 Grand Chapter, Teach For America was named Phi Sigma Pi's National philanthropy. The reason being that Phi SIgma Pi starting off as fraternity for teachers and originating at a Teacher's college. According to the Phi Sigma Pi National Website, the fraternity is devoted to the success of future generations in classrooms throughout the United States. | + | During the 2003 Grand Chapter, Teach For America was named Phi Sigma Pi's National philanthropy. The reason being that Phi SIgma Pi starting off as fraternity for teachers and originating at a Teacher's college. According to the Phi Sigma Pi National Website, the fraternity is devoted to the success of future generations in classrooms throughout the United States. Since being named the national philanthropy,Phi Sigma Pi has set up several initiatives to help support Teach For America. The list below briefly describes each. |
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| + | ===Phi Sigma Pi's Essay Contest/scholarship=== | ||
| + | An initiative open to all students who are being taught by a Teach For America Corp Member. Three 1st Prize awards are given in the form of $500.00 U.S. Saving Bonds. Three 2nd Place Winners will be awarded a $200.00 U.S. Savings Bond. To enter, participants must submit a completed essay based on the assigned them, with all entries being sent to the Phi Sigma Pi National Headquarters. Up to ten Semi-Finalists are selected for each of the three categrooies (grades 1-4); (grades 5-8); (grades 9-12) by a panel of volunteer and staff members of Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity. | ||
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===Alternative Break Project=== | ===Alternative Break Project=== | ||
Revision as of 15:38, 6 September 2008
Teach For America was named the official national philanthropy of Phi Sigma Pi by the 2003 Grand Chapter. The organization's mission is to promote educational reform by engaging the nation's most promising future leaders in the movement to eliminate inequities in the current system.
Since 2003, Phi Sigma Pi has partnered with Teach For America to provide corps members, supplies, and monetary support. At the 2007 National Convention, National President Jonah Goodman announced the newly created Teach For America Grant program that is open to any Alumni currently working as a Teach For America Corps Member to further improve the learning environment in their class rooms. Vice President of Chapter Development Erik Walschburger (2006-2008) announced plans to further increase the scope of Phi Sigma Pi's support of the organization with an alternative break for brothers in January of 2008. Phi Sigma Pi will be working with the Phoenix Regional Teach For America office on several improvement and revitalization projects in a local school.
Contents
About Teach For America
Teach for America is a non-profit organization whose mssion is "to build the movement to eliminate educational inequity by enlisting our nation's most promising future leaders in the effort." It is a national teaching corps of recent college graduates of all academic majors who commit two years to teach in urban and rural schools.
Brief History
The organization was founded by Wendy Kopp in 1990. As a senior, Wendy proposed for the organization's creation in her undergraduate thesis at Princeton University. During Teach For America's first year in 1990, 500 men and women began teaching in six low-income communities across the United States. Since its founding, over 14,000 corps members have completed their commitment to the organization. It's network has grown to 20,000 individuals.
Organizational Reach
Teach for America currently serves in 26 communities in the United States.
- Atlanta
- Baltimore
- Bay Area
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Connecticut
- Denver
- Eastern North Carolina
- Greater New Orleans
- Greater Philadelphia-Camden, New Jersey
- Hawaii
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Jacksonville
- Kansas City
- Las Vegas Valley
- Los Angeles
- Memphis
- Miami-Dade
- Mississippi Delta
- New Mexico
- New York City
- Newark, New Jersey
- Phoenix
- Rio Grande Valley
- St. Louis
- South Dakota
- South Louisina
- Washington D.C.
Phi Sigma Pi and Teach For America Partnership
During the 2003 Grand Chapter, Teach For America was named Phi Sigma Pi's National philanthropy. The reason being that Phi SIgma Pi starting off as fraternity for teachers and originating at a Teacher's college. According to the Phi Sigma Pi National Website, the fraternity is devoted to the success of future generations in classrooms throughout the United States. Since being named the national philanthropy,Phi Sigma Pi has set up several initiatives to help support Teach For America. The list below briefly describes each.
Phi Sigma Pi's Essay Contest/scholarship
An initiative open to all students who are being taught by a Teach For America Corp Member. Three 1st Prize awards are given in the form of $500.00 U.S. Saving Bonds. Three 2nd Place Winners will be awarded a $200.00 U.S. Savings Bond. To enter, participants must submit a completed essay based on the assigned them, with all entries being sent to the Phi Sigma Pi National Headquarters. Up to ten Semi-Finalists are selected for each of the three categrooies (grades 1-4); (grades 5-8); (grades 9-12) by a panel of volunteer and staff members of Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity.
Alternative Break Project
2008 Phoenix, Arizona
January 6-12, thirteen Brothers participated in the first Teach For America Alternative Break Project at Carl T. Smith Middle School in Phoenix, Arizona.
2009 Shelby, Mississippi
January 4-11, 2009 Within the one week of the Alternative Break Project, volunteers will construct two playgrounds at Shelby Middle School. One playground will be designated for the 5th and 6th graders and will consist of a jungle gym and swings. Another playground will be designated for the 7th and 8th graders and will consist of a blacktop with various educational stencils and a basketball goal.
