Those interested in learning more about Teach For America are invited to join Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) alumna Christy Wessel Powell '04 as she discusses her experiences with the program during a presentation on Monday, Dec. 1. The presentation will take place at SMWC from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m. in Jazzman’s Café, which is located in the College’s Mary and Andrew Rooney Library. Lunch is available for purchase from Jazzman’s Café.

Teach For America (TFA) aims to end educational inequity, and the organization envisions a day when all children in this nation will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education. Through TFA, outstanding recent college graduates commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in expanding educational opportunity. Today, 6,200 corps members are teaching in more than 1,600 schools in 29 regions across the country, while more than 14,000 Teach For America alumni continue working from inside and outside the field of education for the fundamental changes necessary to ensure educational excellence and equity.

Recognizing that achieving financial stability is important, TFA is committed to making teaching a viable option for everyone, regardless of their financial situation. Corps members receive the same salaries and health benefits as other beginning teachers, and they are paid directly by the school districts for which they work. While beginning teacher salaries vary by district, corps members generally find that they can live comfortably regardless of their placement site. Corps members teaching in urban sites typically have higher salaries, starting at $30,000 and reaching a high of $47,000. Corps members in rural sites, who make between $27,000 and $45,000, tend to have more discretionary income because the cost of living is disproportionately lower in these sites. Beginning teachers with advanced degrees often earn higher salaries, so applicants with a master's degree and/or a Ph.D. can expect salaries that, in some cases, exceed these ranges.

Teach For America accepts applicants from all academic majors and programs, including education, but a degree or coursework in education is not required and has no bearing on a candidate's chances of admission. Wessel earned a bachelor’s degree in international studies and humanities from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, and she served as a first/second grade teacher at Pope Elementary School in Chicago while serving in the in Teach for America program.

“If you are interested in public service and education, I would recommend joining Teach For America,” Wessel Powell said in the profile information she submitted to the SMWC Career Development Center. “It’s a great way to jump start your career. You can simultaneously earn your teaching certification, work toward an optional master’s degree, take on lots of responsibility, gain immediate experience and affect direct change at the same time.”

For more information about Wessel Powell's presentation at SMWC, email the SMWC Career Development Center at career@smwc.edu or call 812-535-5188. More information about Teach For America can be found online at www.teachforamerica.org.