Teach For America wants to enlist veterans

Teach For America, the nonprofit organization that sends recent college graduates and professionals to teaching positions at low-income schools, wants to enlist military veterans into its ranks.

The organization, which helps its "corps members" earn teaching certifications in exchange for a two-year teaching commitment, is looking for veterans who wish to continue their service to their country as educators. Teach For America (TFA) will host an online webinar for former and current military members interested in joining TFA after they separate or after they finish college on Oct. 14, 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. EDT, through TFA's website.

Individuals interested in participating should pre-register and provide information about their educational background. The webinar will be hosted by Dr. Sidney Ellington, a TFA alum who spent 20 years in the Navy before becoming an educator.

Ellington will be joined by a panel of military veterans who are also TFA alumni. Attendees will get a chance to learn about the organization's mission, the application process and the overall experience of educating young people who need impactful teachers the most.

Founded in 1989, TFA sends college graduates and professionals to serve as faculty members at schools in rural and urban communities nationwide. Each program session begins with a five-week training course that provides TFA teachers with a basic foundation of skills and knowledge needed for a first-year educator. TFA then works with school districts to place its participants in schools, providing them access to further training and professional development during their two-year teaching stints.

Participants work to earn their teaching certifications with assistance and support from TFA. Participants who go on to become TFA alumni have access to additional resources such as leadership training and job opportunities provided by TFA and its vast network of alumni.