Recognizing the urgent need for excellent math and science education in this country, we launched a campaign in 2004 to bring more outstanding math and science teachers to low-income communities. In the 2009-2010 school year, nearly 2,400 corps members are teaching math and science to more than 150,000 students. We project that this number will increase to 3,600 by 2015.
This initiative begins with focused recruitment of graduating college seniors, graduate students, and professionals with math, science and engineering expertise. Over the past two years, this approach has increased the number of Teach For America applicants with a math, science, or engineering background.
| Year | Corps Size | Total applicants | Science/Technology/ Engineering/Mathematics applicants* (STEM) |
STEM applicants (% of total) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2004 |
1,600 |
13,300 |
2,200 |
16.5% |
2005 |
2,200 |
17,300 |
3,100 |
18% |
2006 |
2,400 |
18,900 |
3,500 |
18.5% |
2007 |
2,900 |
18,100 |
3,400 |
19% |
2008 |
3,600 |
24,700 |
4,700 |
19% |
2009 |
4,100 |
35,100 |
7,200 |
20.5% |
Percent change '04-'09 |
+156% |
+164% |
+227% |
+4% |
*includes applicants with backgrounds in finance
In addition to recruiting a growing corps of individuals with strong math, science, and engineering backgrounds, we give our math and science teachers the training and support they need to succeed in the classroom. This requires content-specific training at the summer institute and targeted support through the two-year commitment.
Finally, this initiative aims to develop programming necessary to maximize the degree to which our alumni continue working beyond their two-year commitments to improve math and science education practice and policy.
Our efforts will be successful only with the continued investment of companies and organizations that recognize that the students of today are the mathematicians, scientists, and engineers of tomorrow.

Contact
Bree Arsenault
Teach For America
bree.arsenault@teachforamerica.org
*National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2007 Mathematics Assessment and 2005 Science Assessment.
**Grant number NNX08AQ39G