GRANVILLE, Ohio— Teach For America has recognized Denison University as a top contributor of the program’s participants among the nation’s small colleges and universities. Denison and Colorado College are tied for third place on the list with both institutions sending 18 volunteers to the program this year. Denison is the only Ohio college of any size to be included among the top five, and other Ohio institutions in the top-20 list are Oberlin College, which tied for seventh place in the small school list with 13 volunteers, and Ohio State University main campus, which tied for ninth among large schools with 55 volunteers.

 

“Men and women graduate from Denison with a deep desire to make a difference in the communities in which they live,” says Denison President Dale T. Knobel. “Teach for America provides opportunities to change the lives of children and youth nationwide. The demanding education in the liberal arts and sciences in which Denison graduates have engaged gives them the tools to advance the learning skills of the students they reach through Teach for America and allows them to model a passion for lifelong learning.”

 

Denison first debuted on the Teach for America list in 2008 in the 10th position. This year, it jumped seven spots to tie for third place. Throughout Teach For America’s 22-year history, 68 Denison alumni have taught as corps members.

 

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 individuals of all academic disciplines to commit two years to teach in high-need schools and become lifelong leaders in the movement to end educational inequity. This fall, more than 10,000 corps members will be teaching in 46 urban and rural regions across the country, while nearly 28,000 alumni are working across sectors to ensure that all children have access to an excellent education.

 

“We are grateful to the outstanding colleges and universities that cultivate graduates with the leadership skills and the determination to address one of our nation’s greatest injustices— the disparity in educational opportunity between children in low-income communities and their wealthier peers,” said Wendy Kopp, chief executive officer and founder of Teach For America. “These corps members bring a diversity of experiences and accomplishments to the classroom, and they all share a powerful commitment to work toward solving this problem.”