Rice a large contributor of alumni to Teach for America

Rice University is one of 22 medium-sized universities and colleges (3,000 to 9,999 undergraduates) that are among the highest contributors of alumni to Teach For America’s 2016 teaching corps. Eleven former Owls joined TFA’s diverse network of 50,000 leaders nationwide.

TFA corps members commit to teach for two years in low-income communities and are hired by partner schools across the country. The organization’s mission is to enlist, develop and mobilize as many of the nation’s most promising future leaders as possible to grow and strengthen the movement for educational equity and excellence.

According to TFA, more than 16 million children in the U.S. grow up in poverty. Children in extreme poverty are half as likely to graduate from high school and one-tenth as likely to graduate from college as students from the most affluent communities. These statistics are not a reflection of children’s potential, but instead reflect the systemic lack of equity for kids in low-income communities.

“Through their teaching experience, corps members gain firsthand experience taking on the injustices low-income communities face and become lifelong leaders in the movement to end educational inequity,” said Lauren Barber, a TFA specialist for prospect communications.

TFA’s 2016 teaching corps represents more than 740 colleges and universities and will impact 53 regions across 36 states and the District of Columbia.

For more information on TFA, visit teachforamerica.org.