Teach for America held a meeting on Sept. 12 at the Hughes-Trigg forum to recruit SMU students. Kate Meister, Teach for America’s recruitment director at SMU, gave a discussion about the benefits of joining the program.
Founded by Wendy Kopp, Teach for America is an organization that trains college graduates to teach at low-income school districts.
The organization is hard at work trying to solve the problem of educational inequity in the United States. Their goal is to give every child the education that they need to succeed. While Teach for America has improved the lives of many young students, much remains to be accomplished.
Currently, one in ten students from low-income communities will graduate from college. Furthermore, 50 percent of students from these communities will not graduate high school by the time they are eighteen.
Teach for America wants to change that. Their goal, according to their website teachforamerica.org, is to “enlist our nation’s most promising future leaders in the movement to eliminate educational inequality.”
In order to be accepted into the program, students must first submit an application (the first application to enter the organization in 2008 is due by Sept. 21), then a phone interview followed by an in-person interview.
Candidates may request the region where they teach, and the grade level. Once a person is accepted, he or she attends a five-week training course and regional orientation. Those who accept a teaching position receive a full salary and benefits.
Although only seniors apply for Teach for America, there are other ways for others to help.
Senior Courtney Sartor, the campus campaign coordinator for Teach for America, mentioned that any student who wants to make a difference in the community could participate in tutoring programs or an alternative spring break.
Also, since Sartor will be graduating this year, there will be an opening for campus campaign coordinator. It’s a great way to make a difference in the community according to Sartor.
“Education hasn’t been declared a fundamental right as far as I know,” Sartor said. “But I believe it should be. It’s that important.”
