FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jamila Reeves
708-997-0005
[email protected]
TEACH FOR AMERICA–PHOENIX WRITES THE NEXT CHAPTER OF
PARTNERSHIP HONORING LOCAL TEACHERS AND EDUCATIONAL
ADVOCATES
P HO E NIX , M ar ch 25 , 20 16 —Teach For America–Phoenix hosted its annual dinner to highlight
the success of local students and the impact of its corps members, alumni, and local educational
advocates on Wednesday, March 16. Local media personality, Karie Dozer, served as mistress of
ceremony for the event, while Arizona State University and John and Kathleen Graham were honored
for their contributions to Teach For America–Phoenix and local educational efforts. The celebration
dinner raised over $500,000 that will be used to support Teach For America’s local efforts to end
educational inequity through recruiting a diverse corps of recent college graduates and professionals
to teach in local classrooms and make a lifelong commitment to end education inequity.
“This year, the theme for our celebration dinner was ‘Writing the Next Chapter.’ During the event, we
heard students express their hopes and desires for their ‘next chapter’ by sharing their dreams of
going to college and feeling affirmed by their teachers and other adults in their lives,” said Lindsay
DeFrancisco, executive director of Teach For America–Phoenix. “I want to thank each of our local
champions for their continued support that enables us to fulfill our commitment to our students. The
hard work of our teachers, other dedicated educators, and our students serves as proof that all
children can and will succeed when given the opportunity.”
John Graham, community supporter and 2016 honoree, helped close out the evening by calling on
community advocates to continue their support towards educational equity. “The event was
humbling for me, and I was deeply inspired by our teachers and students’ reflections,” said Graham.
“Kathleen and I are proud to support Teach For America in its efforts for educational equity.”
As a title sponsor of the celebration dinner, the Fiesta Bowl organization donated $50,000 to Teach
For America–Phoenix – a figure that has been matched by the College Football Playoff (CFP)
Foundation. “Fiesta Bowl was honored to be a part of the TFA 2016 celebration dinner. The
dedication to serving youth and the community is prevalent with every teacher involved in the
program. We are proud to support Teach For America and the daily impact they are making on
students and educators across the state,” said Jose Moreno, director of community relations and
charitable giving for the Fiesta Bowl.
Since its inception, the College Football Playoff Foundation has moved to make significant impact in
the classroom through their philanthropic initiative Extra Yard for Teachers. “The 2016 celebration
dinner was a wonderful event, and we are proud to support it. This is a community that understands
the value of a quality teacher in every classroom. Congratulations to Phoenix and the overall
organization for a job well-done,” said Britton Banowsky, executive director of the College Football
Playoff Foundation.
Locally, Teach For America has become an important partner in the effort to ensure that every child
has access to an excellent and equitable education. The organization recruits top college graduates
and professionals and prepares them to teach in urban and rural public schools, where they work for
at least two years alongside other faculty to make a meaningful different for their students. The
organization also focuses on developing these teachers as leaders in education and in other fields
committed to ensuring that our country lives up to its highest ideals for every child. Teach For
America–Phoenix welcomed 70 new corps members to local schools this fall. Additionally, the
organization’s regional network includes more than 870 alumni working across an array of sectors to
ensure that all children have an equal chance in life.
Photo Caption
Photo 1
Teach For America–Phoenix Executive Director Lindsay DeFrancisco and Arizona State University
representative Dean Mari Koerner celebrate local teachers and education advocates.
Photo 2
Teach For America corps member Landon Bell and his third grade student Katelyn share their
experience in the classroom.
Photo 3
Honorees John and Kathleen Graham and Teach For America–Phoenix Executive Director Lindsay
DeFrancisco celebrate local teachers and education advocates.
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About Teach For America
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 college graduates and professionals to make an initial two-year
commitment to teach in high-need schools and become lifelong leaders in the movement to end
educational inequity. Today, 8,600 corps members are teaching in 52 urban and rural regions across
the country while more than 42,000 alumni work across sectors to ensure that all children have
access to an excellent education. Teach For America is a proud member of the AmeriCorps national
service network. For more information, visit www.teachforamerica.org and follow us on Facebook
and Twitter.