In a presentation to Ohio University’s Student Senate last night, one student appealed to members to use their status as leaders on campus to help one organization achieve its goal — closing the achievement gap in America.
Senate member Jess Jones spoke at the meeting about Teach for America, an organization that puts graduating students into classrooms for two years in low-income areas. Teach for America is in partnership with many schools, such as Harvard University, and many other institutions across the nation.
“One out of 10 students growing up in low-income areas will graduate from college,” Jones said, describing the “achievement gap.”
“Some may not even have the opportunities to graduate from high school.”
Jones serves as Teach for America’s OU campus rep. She asked senate members to consider applying for Teach for America and to spread the word about the program.
“You guys are all leaders,” she said. “You can all help. If we get enough leaders in these schools, closing the achievement gap is 100 percent possible, and we can do it in our lifetime.”
Teach for America “corps members” are paid a full-time salary with a $10,000 stipend at the end of the two years, and participants do not need to have studied education, Jones said.
“This is a mission I am sincerely passionate about,” Jones said. “These are the schools that have students whose teachers have already given up on them and thus given up on themselves.”
There will be an information session for interested students from 7-9 p.m. Oct. 11 at Walter Hall 145. Upcoming seniors who wish to apply can visit teachforamerica.org.
“Each and every one of you here will graduate, make your families proud, and do something amazing with your lives,” Jones said. “Education inequality in America is a very real and a very solvable problem.”
es172709@ohiou.edu
