Wesleyan Nearly Doubles Its Teach for America Cohort

Wesleyan nearly doubled its number of Teach for America participants this year over 2013, the national organization said. With 19 participants in the 2014 cohort, Wesleyan is tied for third among “small schools”  (those with under 2,999 students) who send graduates into the corps.

The Wesleyan alumni join the most diverse corps in Teach for America’s 25-year-history, with one third of the members the first in their families to attend college, half identifying as people of color, and nearly half Pell Grant recipients as undergraduates.

Teach For America works in partnership with communities to expand educational opportunity for children facing the challenges of poverty. Founded in 1990, they recruit and develop outstanding individuals to commit to teach in high-need schools. This fall, 10,600 corps members will be teaching in 50 urban and rural regions across the country.

“Many of our students are passionate about addressing educational inequality, and see Teach for America as a perfect place to launch their careers,” said Sharon Belden Castonguay, director of the Wesleyan Career Center.

Wesleyan, which sent 10 graduates to TFA in 2013, tied this year with the University of Richmond and came in behind DePauw University and Spelman College, both with 20 participants. To learn more about Teach for America, go here.