OneStar Foundation recently announced that it has awarded $550,000 in funding to support Teach For America’s programs in Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, the Rio Grande Valley, and San Antonio over the next three years. This grant is part of $32.7 million that Texas received in federal AmeriCorps funding from AmeriCorps, formerly known as the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).

Teach For America works in partnership with urban and rural communities in more than 50 regions across the country to expand educational opportunities for children. The organization has been part of the Texas fabric since 1991, when the first corps members came to the Rio Grande Valley and Houston regions and became a part of the AmeriCorps network when the federal program launched in 1994. Today, Teach For America has a presence in Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio as well as alumni leading in Austin and nearly every corner of the state. Sustained partnerships between district leaders, the community, donors and family members have enabled Teach For America to play a contributing role in increasing student outcomes including graduation rates and student achievement.

This year, more than 440 Teach For America AmeriCorps members are leading local classrooms throughout the state, while an additional 4,800 Teach For America alumni are working in education and other sectors to expand educational opportunities throughout Texas. Among that alumni leadership force, over 77 percent work in roles impacting education or low-income communities. In Houston specifically, over 225 corps members are serving in classrooms while another 1,770 alumni of the program live in the region.

“Teach For America has been a OneStar grant recipient since 2004, and we are pleased that we’re able to renew their funding for another three years,” said Chris Bugbee, CEO of the OneStar Foundation. Teach For America’s focus on educational equity has never been more critical as we watch Texas students, families, teachers, and schools grapple with the long-term effects of the pandemic. This funding will help the organization continue to recruit and train hundreds of new Texas educators over the next few years whose contribution and dedication will be welcomed.”

“We are at a turning point in our education system. The pandemic has severely impacted both students and educators, and we are facing declines in academic achievement and teacher shortages on an unprecedented level,” said Robert Carreon, Vice President of Texas Public Affairs for Teach For America. “This funding from the OneStar Foundation is critical to bringing more educators to the state over the next three years who are focused on our highest-need communities and the emotional wellbeing of our students, teachers, and schools.”

AmeriCorps will make available an additional $3.5 million in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards for the Teach For America AmeriCorps members funded by these grants. After completing a full term of service, AmeriCorps members earn an award of approximately $6,495 that they can use for college or to pay off student loans. The AmeriCorps education award enables Teach For America to recruit a diverse set of corps members to Texas. Last school year, 53% of corps members in Texas identified as coming from a low-income community and 42.6% were the first in their families to attend college.

For more information, visit www.teachforamerica.org.