Teach for America helps students in poverty
Did you know there are 13 million American children living in poverty? Teach For America is a program that aims to educate those living in poverty that have less opportunity than their middle to upper-class counterparts.
Of the number of children living in poverty in the United States, only half of them will graduate from college and only one in 10 of those will further their education at a university or college, according to the Katrina Galverez, campus campaign coordinator for the Teach for America program.
According to the Teach for America Web site, American society’s greatest injustice is educational inequity. They say the reality is that where a child is born determines his/her educational opportunity and in turn closes doors to many other opportunities in life. Their mission statement proclaims, “Our vision is that one day, all children in this nation will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education.”
Teach for America is spread across 29 rural and urban areas and has about 6,200 different teachers nationwide. Teachforamerica.org says that there have been more than 20,000 recently graduated young adults who have participated in the program, affecting nearly 3 million students lives.
Teach for America has been working with USU for nearly three years.
“Utah State is considered a low awareness school because Teach for America isn’t really well known here yet. It is a program that seeks out exceptional students and is really a prestigious group drawing students from Harvard and Yale. Now they are finding at Utah State there are a lot of talented and dedicated students who would make for great participants,” Galverez said.
Galverez is an applicant hoping to teach for the program in Houston fall of 2009.
“I want to make a difference for these children. I think of how much I value my college degree. I want to teach them that it doesn’t matter where you come from, you are capable. Many of these children have been told throughout their lives that they will never be able to achieve anything, and they are perfectly capable,” Galverez said. “Teach for America is teaching these children that every day. Not only will I be bettering these children’s lives, but society as a whole.”
Chantear Song, senior in sociology, is another Teach for America applicant.
“I’m really into leadership. I’ve participated in four different organizations and clubs. One of the biggest things is that I want to be involved in the community, I really want to work with social injustice. So, Teach for America gives me the chance to work with leadership and make a difference,” she said. “With Teach for America you will be exposed to a lot of different and hard things.”
In order to qualify for Teach for America, a student must have obtained a bachelor’s degree, be a citizen of the United States (or a permanent resident) and have a minimum 2.5 grade point average.
“It doesn’t matter what you get your degree in. Anyone can do it that is willing to commit to the program for three years,” Galverez said.
The program provides ongoing training and area orientation to help acclimate the teachers and help them cope with situations that they may face, Song said. The program also offers a certification and a representative is in contact and available constantly for questions and help for teachers.
“The biggest sacrifice is having to be more frugal with my money, it’s not very high pay but it won’t always be that way and I will gain a lot,” Song said.
Teach for America was ranked on Time Magazine’s Top 10 Places to Launch Your Career list for the experience and prestige it gives the participant.
“I hope to gain problem solving skills in the real-world and leadership that I can take into whatever career field that I go into,” Song said.
“It’s really a great opportunity and a great place to start for people who want a career of substance,” Galverez said.
Teach for America has four application periods throughout the year, the next one being Friday Nov. 7. To apply and learn more about Teach for America, visit teachforamerica.org
–beck.turner@aggiemail.usu.edu