Teach For America
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.
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About Teach For America
Teach for America is a non-profit organization whose mission 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. Teach For America places corps members in regions most profoundly impacted by the gap in educational outcomes. Roughly 80 percent of the students we reach qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and more than 90 percent are African-American or Latino. All of the districts we serve are classified as "high-need" local education agencies by the federal government.
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. In the 2010-11 school year, more than 8,200 first- and second-year Teach For America corps members will be teaching in 39 regions across the country.
Organizational Reach
Teach for America currently serves in 39 rural and urban communities in the United States. Below is a table of each region and where the information is available Alumni who are currently serving as Teach For America Corps Members.
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 categories (grades 1-4); (grades 5-8); (grades 9-12) by a panel of volunteer and staff members of Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity.
Phi Sigma Pi's Teach for America Teacher Grants
A grant set up to support Phi Sigma Pi Alumni who are serving in the role of Teach For America Corps for one of the following two purposes: 1.) Grants to fund a new classroom initiatives or program that will be used for the betterment of education process and 2.) Grants to fund a classroom initiative to enhance the learning environment of each recipient.
Alternative Break Project (ABP)
A project set up in 2008 to demonstrate Phi Sigma Pi's commitment to Teach For America. Phi Sigma Pi and Teach For America regional offices provide a "hands on" experience for Brothers to close the gap on educational inequities in public education. The program sends 15-30 Brothers to a selected Teach For America sponsored school. Here, brothers participate in projects such such as landscaping a school playground, construct walkways, and mentor in clssrooms of the selected school. The program is typically held during the winter break of an academic year, with its inaugural event being held at the Carl T. Smith Middle School in Phoenix, Arizona.
2011 ABP Details
At the 2010 National Convention in Harrisburg, PA, it was announced that the location of the 2011 Alternative Break Project will be Memphis, TN!
Join us in Memphis May 15-22! Download and fill out the application and return it to the National Office by January 1st, 2011.
Past ABP Trips
Backpack Attack
An initiative in which alumni brothers as well as chapters gather new school supplies and pack up backpacks to be sent to Teach For America classrooms throughout the United States. the Brotherhood has sent hundreds of backpacks to children in under-resourced areas.
