Americorps
&
Teach For America
Discussion Session
• What Is Prosperity?
A New Car?
A Big House?
A High Paying Job?
The Meaning of Prosperity
• By Benjamin Akande ,Chair, Division of
Business Administration at Wayland
Baptist University
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What will you look for in a career?
A. Affiliation
B. Challenge
C. Creativity
D. Security
E. Variety
F. Leadership
G. Recognition
F. Sense of Duty
Things to Think about in your
selection process
Think about the type of environment you
thrive best in
What kind of energy do you have? (Are
you spontaneous or methodical?)
Take an inventory of your skills and
abilities
What is the mission of the company?
What is the philosophy of the company?
How would you like to“make a difference”
“contribute to the greater good”
gain valuable work experience
earn money to attend graduate school and
pay back student loans
What Can you Gain from Americorps and Teach
for America?
Working with these organizations can enhance
your professional resume. “When you help
others, you help yourself, because you build
character, and character is one of the keys to a
successful career.”- John Reynolds
You can make new and important contacts
Increase your profile-you will meet people inside
and outside your industry
Learn new skills-you will discover aptitudes you
might not otherwise learn to possess
Great learning opportunities can be hard
to come by, but you can pick up new skills
in these two programs
Learn what others have to say or offer in
situations you normally wouldn’t venture
You can work for an organization that
changes your life and your career
• If you are looking for a career in which you
can help others, work for a cause you
believe in, gain a sense of
accomplishment, learn new skills, gain
valuable work experience and further your
career goals.
• You might consider an Americorps*
program
Who Serves in Americorps?
• AmeriCorps is a network of national service programs that engage
more than 50,000 Americans each year in intensive service to meet
critical needs in education, public safety, health, and the
environment. AmeriCorps members serve through more than 2,100
nonprofits, public agencies, and faith-based organizations. They
tutor and mentor youth, build affordable housing, teach computer
skills, clean parks and streams, run after-school programs, and help
communities respond to disasters. Created in 1993, AmeriCorps is
part of the Corporation for National and Community Service, which
also oversees Senior Corps and Learn and Serve America. Together
these programs engage more than 2 million Americans of all ages
and backgrounds in service each year.
Americorps Members Bring:
• Safer Streets
• Better Schools
• Strengthen
Communities
• Help Citizens to
Become Active
Participants in the
Growth of their
Community
Americorps was started in 1993 as part
of the corporation for National and
Community Service
 Americorps is open to U.S. citizens, nationals,
or lawful permanent residents
 Participants receive living subsidies plus a
substantial post service educational stipend to
be used to pay off acquired educational debts
or to finance future education and training.
 Since you are working for the government, you
are more likely to receive consideration for
other government positions
Contact Information:
 More Information
To learn more about joining AmeriCorps,
go to www.americorps.org/joining or call
1-800-942-2677 or (TTY 1-800-8333722).
One Members Story
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Tara Holtgrewe
Hometown: Williamstown, WV
Education: BS, Chemistry
AmeriCorps Projects: AmeriCorps*NCCC Charleston, SC
Why I decided to serve
I thought about doing the Peace Corps but being away from home for
years was a concern. A friend told me about this program as an
alternative. I decided to join for the experience. There's so much you can't
learn from books and I've been learning from books my whole life. Now, I
want to learn from experiences. What made the biggest impact on me
Teaching chemistry to high school kids because I got to see them
progress from frustration to enjoyment and understanding Future Plans
Run a marathon, backpack Europe, drive cross-country to see the
US, and teach while I apply to medical school..
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Next Member Story | Previous Member Story
 “One thing I know, the only ones among
you who will be truly happy are those
who have sought and found how to
serve”
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Albert Schweitzer
Teach for America
 Every year 2000 individuals join Teach for America.
Each person is placed in a full time teaching position in
rural and public schools.
 The selection process is rigorous and only the most
promising applicants are chosen for a day long
interview that includes group discussions, a personal
interview, and a sample teaching lesson.
 Applicants will be notified two to three weeks after the
interview day.
A Brief History of Teach for America
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Are we making progress?
Since 1990, more than 10,000 exceptional individuals have joined
Teach For America. Collectively, they have directly impacted the lives
of more than 1.5 million students. After two years in the classroom,
more than 60 percent of Teach For America alumni remain in
education as teachers, principals, school founders, and policy
advisors. Others have gone on to work in other fields such as law,
medicine, business, and social work. Armed with the insight and
sense of injustice gained through their classroom experience, alumni
continue working to increase opportunities for children living in lowincome communities. Where are we seeing results?
Teach For America chooses the communities in which we place
based primarily on the extent of the need for our corps members
and the impact these teachers can have as a force for increasing
academic achievement in public schools in the region.
Where Corp Members are
teaching:
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Where would I teach?
Applicants indicate their preferences for regional sites, grade levels, and subject areas
on interview day. Teach For America works to meet these preferences while meeting
districts' needs and considering district and state requirements. This year, we were
able to place 95% of our accepted applicants in one of their highly preferred sites
and 99% in one of their highly preferred or preferred sites.
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Our Regions
Teach For America corps members currently teach in 20 urban and rural areas where
they are needed most. While reading, keep in mind that there are many common
elements to the resources available to corps members in all regions. No matter which
region you become most interested in, you will find unique cultural activities,
challenging professional experiences, and corps member friends and colleagues with
whom you will share a life-changing experience.
Atlanta Baltimore Bay Area Chicago Detroit Greater New
Orleans Houston Los Angeles Miami Mississippi Delta New Jersey New
Mexico New York North Carolina Philadelphia Phoenix Rio Grande Valley S.
Louisiana St. Louis Washington, D.C.
What can I expect to be paid?
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You would be paid directly by the school
district in which you work.
As high as $41,000 and as low as $25,000
You will also be eligible for forbearance on
most student loans during your service
and you will also receive an educational
award of $9,450 for your two years of
service to pay off student loans or to
further your education
Training Process
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Corp members teach summer school during the
morning and early afternoon. During the
afternoon and evening corp members attend
workshops, discussions, and meet with
experienced educators.
While corp members do not have teacher
certification, they are required to meet specific
requirements. Members have to pass certain
exams and will be required to take ongoing
courses before they begin teaching.
Position Yourself
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a. These graduate schools offer a two year deferral to
students who are admitted to their programs and choose to
join Teach For America*:
Business Schools
Harvard Business School (applicable to graduating college seniors
only)
Rice University - Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management
University of Michigan Business School (applicable to graduating
college seniors only)
Government/Public Policy Programs
Brandeis University - Heller School for Social Policy and Management
Harvard University - John F. Kennedy School of Government
Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs
New York University - Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public
Service
Princeton University - Woodrow Wilson School of Public and
International Affairs
Syracuse University - Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public
Benefits for Teach for America
Members
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. These graduate schools offer benefits such as fellowships, course credits, grants, and waived application fees to our alumni who are accepted into
their programs:Business Schools
Rice University - Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management
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Waives application fee (for applications submitted within two years of completed corps member term)
Provides a scholarship for corps members and alumni up to $10,000 annually
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University of Chicago Graduate School of Business
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University of Michigan Business School
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Waives application fee
Consideration for special scholarships ranging from $5,000 - $20,000
Education Schools
Fordham University Graduate School of Education
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Waives application fee
Provides a 25% tuition scholarship (approx. $6,000 - $7,000 benefit) to alumni enrolled in a master's or professional
diploma program
Government/Public Policy Programs
Brandeis University - Heller School for Social Policy and Management
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Waives application fee
Provides $4,725 in tuition assistance
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Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs
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Grants six academic credits in consideration of Teach For America experience
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New School University - Robert J. Milano Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy
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Waives application fee
Provides $5,000 in tuition assistance for up to two years ($10,000 benefit)
New York University - Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
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Waives application fee for exiting corps members and alumni
Provides a minimum of $4,725 in tuition assistance for up to five Teach For America alumni annually, renewable for a
second year provided the applicable alumnus remains in good academic standing ($9,500 benefitl)
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Syracuse University - Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Policy
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Provides $5,000 in tuition assistance
Due to the rigorous selection process, admission staff and hiring
officers know alumni of Teach for America have proven their ability to
manage others to achieve ambitious goals, problem solve,
communicate well in small and large groups and plan strategically
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c. Employers value the leadership skills and experience that distinguish
Teach For America corps members and recruit them after their
commitment. Many organizations including government agencies, public policy and
research organizations, consulting and finance firms, non-profit organizations, and
major school districts, consider Teach For America corps members strong candidates
for employment and participate in a resume collection each year. Some of these
include:
Accenture
Bain & Company
Boston Consulting Group
Breakthrough/Summerbridge
Civitas
Department of Education
Goldman Sachs
Monitor Group
Morgan Stanley
Scholastic, Inc.
The Capital Group Companies
Application Deadline:
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October 24, 2003 and February 15, 2004
For more information please contact Teach
for America at
admissions@teachforamerica.org or at 1800-832-1230x225 or go to
http://www.teachforamerica.org
Resources:
Volunteerism
Edited by Frank McGuckin
The Halo Effect
How Volunteering Can Lead To A More Fulfilling Life and a
Better Career
By: John Raynolds
http://www.americorps.org
http://www.teachforamerica.org
http://www.nycares.org
http://www.give.org
http://www.servenet.org
Evaluation Questions
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Use:
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a. Strongly agree
b. Agree
c. Disagree
d. Strongly disagree
e. Don’t know
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1. I found the presentation of material easy to understand.
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2. This Advantage session increased my knowledge on the subject.
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3. I will be able to use some of the information from this Advantage session
in the future.
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4. The presentation was well prepared for this advantage session.
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5. This presentation should be repeated in future semesters.