Amgen Foundation Awards $5 Million Grant to Teach For America to Improve Math and Science Education in Low-Income Communities
Posted on: Tuesday, 11 July 2006, 12:00 CDT
NEW YORK, July 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Teach For America and the Amgen Foundation today announced the launch of a five-year partnership designed to improve the quality of math and science education in America's underserved public schools. The Amgen Foundation pledged $5 million to support a program aimed at doubling the number of college math and science graduates who join Teach For America by 2010.
Teach For America is the national corps of outstanding recent college graduates of all academic majors who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in expanding educational opportunity. Among the 19,000 applicants for its 2006 corps, nearly 20 percent majored in math, science, or engineering.
The $5 million grant makes the Amgen Foundation the National Math and Science Partner for Teach For America. The Foundation will support 50 new Amgen Fellows each year, selected from incoming Teach For America corps members with undergraduate degrees in math or science. The grant will support their recruitment, training, and professional development, and will provide each fellow with a $2,000 signing bonus.
In addition, the $5 million grant will make possible an Amgen/Teach For America Math & Science Summit, to be held annually in Washington, D.C. This symposium will bring together Amgen Fellows, Teach For America alumni who work or teach in the fields of math or science, policy makers, and industry leaders. The summit will focus on ways of strengthening math and science education in low-income communities.
"We believe that enlisting more of the most talented, committed math and science majors in teaching in urban and rural public schools and ultimately in education reform is one of the most important levers we have as a nation for strengthening educational outcomes and building the pipeline of future scientists," said Wendy Kopp, president and founder of Teach For America. "Having such a significant commitment from Amgen is an important boost to our effort to bring additional leadership to strengthening math and science education."
"Our investment in Teach For America is an essential part of our efforts to advance math and science education in the country," said Jean J. Lim, president of the Amgen Foundation. "By recruiting top math and science graduates to teach in underserved communities, Teach For America is helping to encourage bright young minds to explore a future in science while building a new generation of leaders in education."
According to the National Center of Education, fourth graders in low-income communities lag two to three grade levels behind their peers in higher-income communities in math and science. As teachers in urban and rural public schools, Amgen Fellows will join all corps members in working to ensure students achieve significant academic gains and in closing the gap in educational outcomes.
About the Amgen Foundation
The Amgen Foundation (http://www.amgen.com/citizenship/overview.html) seeks to advance science education; improve patient access to quality care; and strengthen the communities where Amgen staff members live and work. Since 1991, the foundation has made $70 million in grants to local, regional, and national nonprofit organizations that impact society in inspiring and innovative ways. It has also supported disaster relief efforts both domestically and internationally.
About Teach For America
Teach For America is the national corps of outstanding recent college graduates who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in expanding educational opportunity. This fall, nearly 4,400 corps members will be teaching in over 1,000 schools in 25 regions across the country; more than 12,000 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. For more information, visit http://www.teachforamerica.org/.
Teach For America
CONTACT: Jackie McCarthy of Teach For America, +1-212-279-2080 x344,jackie.mccarthy@teachforamerica.org; or Ashleigh Koss of Amgen, Thousand Oaks,+1-805-313-6151 - media, akoss@amgen.com
Web site: http://www.teachforamerica.org/http://www.amgen.com/citizenship/overview.html
Source: PRNewswire
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