Teach For America–South Carolina receives $5,000 grant from AT&T to support STEM education initiative

Teach For America–South Carolina received a $5,000 grant from AT&T South Carolina to support the region’s InnovateSC initiative, which seeks to increase statewide Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education opportunities. The donation will help to recruit, train, and support Teach For America teachers who are leading STEM classrooms in the Palmetto State, and will also support the ongoing leadership development provided to Teach For America alumni working in the field of education and fields that address educational inequity.

“Recruiting leaders to teach science and math in high-need schools is critical to helping South Carolina students expand their educational opportunities,” said Josh Bell, executive director of Teach For America–South Carolina. “We are grateful to have received this generous grant from AT&T to support continued excellence in teaching, especially in STEM subjects, and to create pathways for students to pursue advanced studies and careers in ever-growing fields like technology and engineering.”

This grant will allow Teach For America–South Carolina staff to build partnerships with key stakeholders across the state to help recruit STEM educators, with a special emphasis on computer science teachers, and fuel a community commitment to equal access to STEM opportunities in South Carolina. Additionally, the grant will provide current Teach For America–South Carolina teachers and alumni with robust STEM content-focused professional development from leading STEM community organizations.

At AT&T, we recognize that our industry, in fact the entire economy, is increasingly geared toward STEM-related skills,” said Jack Mitchell, regional director for external affairs for AT&T South Carolina. “So while we have a vested interest in helping to assure a steady supply of STEM-trained employ for the future, we also know that there is no better way to make a lasting difference for communities and families than by investing in education and educators. We are excited about the work being done by InnovateSC and Teach For America–South Carolina and appreciate the opportunity to support their efforts.”

Since 2011, Teach For America–South Carolina has recruited talented and committed graduates and professionals to teach students in high need classrooms over a two-year commitment. As leaders in the classroom, Teach For America teachers make an immediate impact on the lives of their students.  The organization is seeking to accelerate community progress in education through its collective impact of corps members and alumni. This year, 100 Teach For America corps members are reaching students in the Midlands, Pee Dee and Lowcountry communities.  One in three of those teachers are teaching STEM subjects.

Teach For America is the nation’s largest and most diverse pipeline of educators partnering with schools in low-income communities. It remains one of the country’s most studied educational-leadership-development organizations, with a growing body of research indicating the positive impact of corps members and alumni in classrooms, schools, and communities.

About Teach For America

Teach For America works in partnership with communities to expand educational opportunity for children facing the challenges of poverty. Founded in 1990, Teach For America recruits and develops a diverse corps of outstanding college graduates and professionals to make an initial two-year commitment to teach in high-need schools and become lifelong leaders in the effort to end educational inequity. Corps members are teaching today in 53 urban and rural regions across the country. They join 12,000 alumni educators in a teaching force of 19,000 and an overall community that is 53,000 strong, working across every sector to ensure that all children have access to an excellent education. Teach For America is a proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network. For more information, visit www.teachforamerica.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.