Teach For America attracts high number of UF graduates

September 13, 2011

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – This fall, more than 5,200 new Teach For America corps members are teaching across the country, and 75 of them are Gators.

The University of Florida is ranked as the No. 5 contributor to the program among large schools, with 75 graduates joining the corps this year.

“The momentum on the UF campus is huge,” said Angie Brice, Teach For America’s regional director of recruitment for Florida. “It’s humbling to see so many students who want to get involved.”

Teach For America is a corps of recent college graduates who teach in urban and rural public schools. Corps members serve two-year commitments and work to provide excellent education to low-income neighborhoods. The corps is made up of graduates from 1,500 colleges with degrees in all academic majors.

The program is selective, and this year the organization received a record 48,000 applications. Only 11 percent were accepted. The new corps members have an average GPA of 3.6, and all of them have served in leadership positions.

“The caliber of the students at UF is extraordinary,” Brice said. “It’s incredible to see so many students who have such a passion for educational equity and a thirst for wanting to make a tangible impact in the world.”

Caity Hickey, the program’s recruitment manager at UF, is both a UF graduate and an alumna of Teach for America. She said UF’s academic standards equipped her for life in the corps.

“The rigor of my classes prepared me for the long and challenging work days of Teach For America,” she said.

She also attributes UF students’ participation in campus life to their success in Teach For America.

“At UF, there are a lot of opportunities to get involved, and that leadership experience will help immensely in the program,” Hickey said.
This fall, 9,300 first and second-year corps members will reach 600,000 students in 43 regions across 34 states and the District of Columbia.

Corps members are paid like any other new teacher. Salaries range from $30,000 to $51,000 and include various health benefits. Most are also eligible to receive education awards of up to $10,700 toward current student loans or future educational expenses.

The next application deadline for the 2012 corps is Friday, Sept. 16.

To learn more about Teach For America at UF, email gatorstfa2012@gmail.com. For more information about the program, including applications, go to www.teachforamerica.com.