ASU's Teach For America Partnership

Teach For America is a national corps of outstanding recent college graduates from all majors who commit to teach in urban and rural public schools for two years. In late 2006, President Crow had a meeting with the Executive Director of Teach For America for the Phoenix region where ideas for further developing a partnership between Teach For America and ASU were discussed. Given that the majority of Teach For America and ASU's goals were in alignment, President Crow, the Office of Education Partnerships, and the Office of University Initiatives all agreed to embark upon a major collaboration between ASU and Teach for America to address Arizona’s most pressing educational needs.

The ASU and Teach For America partnership received the ASU President's Medal for Social Embeddedness in 2008. In 2009, coordination of the partnership transitioned to the College of Teacher Education and Leadership where the partnership continues to thrive.

ASU and Teach For America partner across four key areas: Teach For America Recruitment, Teacher Support and Development, Alumni Leadership, and the Phoenix Institute. 

Teach For America Recruitment

ASU and Teach For America are working together towards the goal of a significant number of local college graduates serving in the Phoenix teaching corps. These corps members will not only strive to meet the needs of local children, but also develop into young leaders that will take on education issues in Arizona. ASU and Teach For America are partnering on several recruitment activities, including: letters sent annually from ASU leadership and Teach For America to ASU seniors encouraging them to consider applying to the corps, Teach For America recruitment events held on all of ASU's campuses, and the identification of key contacts at each ASU campus who serve as a resource for Teach For America in recruitment efforts.

Teacher Support and Development

Teacher support and development provides a unique opportunity for ASU and Teach For America to partner in supporting new teachers serving in low income schools. Phoenix Teach For America corps members have the opportunity to apply for and enroll in ASU’s College of Teacher Education and Leadership to work towards a Masters degree with teaching certification in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Secondary Education, or Special Education. The program is tailored specifically to the unique teaching experience of corps members.

Alumni Leadership

Teach For America and ASU are working together in an effort to retain Teach For America alumni in Arizona and attract alumni from other regions to take on leadership roles in Arizona from which alumni can advocate for more opportunities for children. As part of this effort, ASU’s College of Teacher Education and Leadership, the Mary Lou Fulton Institute and Graduate School of Education, the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, and the W. P. Carey School of Business all offer educational incentives created specifically for Teach For America alumni.

Learn more about the ASU and Teach For America Alumni Education Leadership Fellowships offered through the College of Teacher Education and Leadership and the Mary Lou Fulton Institute and Graduate School of Education.

Phoenix Institute

The Teach For America Phoenix Institute is a rigorous five-week summer preparation program where new corps members develop the skills necessary to become successful teachers in urban and rural schools across the country. Phoenix is one of only seven cities in the nation selected to house a Teach For America summer institute. The approximately 700 corps members who attend the Phoenix Institute go on to become first-year teachers in Phoenix, New Mexico, Greater New Orleans, and South Louisiana. The Phoenix Institute is held at the ASU Tempe Campus and each year ASU staff and faculty from many different areas across the university collaborate with Teach For America to ensure a successful Institute. The Phoenix Institute has consistently received the highest corps member satisfaction ratings for overall institute operations, as compared to all current and past Teach For America summer institutes across the nation.

Press

For additional information on the ASU and Teach For America partnership, please contact:
Heather Carter, Director of Community Engagements and Special Projects, College of Teacher Education and Leadership
heather.carter@asu.edu