The foundation for Teach For America (TFA) started as an undergraduate thesis proposal at Princeton University in 1989, as founder Wendy Kopp saw an ever-increasing number of young people looking to make a difference in the world.
Kopp saw these young people and recent graduates as a key resource to help urban and rural communities decrease education inequity around the country.
Partnering With The Lynch Foundation
Active community participation in education is one of the key values of The Lynch Foundation. And it’s those values that Carolyn Lynch identified as central to Kopp’s ambitious teaching corps.
After spending time with Kopp discussing her plan and strategy, Carolyn was motivated to award a modest grant to help launch her vision in 1990.
Over the next two decades, TFA grew rapidly around the nation. Despite this success, a Massachusetts TFA chapter wasn’t established during these initial years.
In 2009, after the The Lynch Foundation helped TFA navigate the political and philanthropic landscape, we partnered with two other funders to finance the long-awaited Massachusetts TFA site. This paved the way for a successful launch with an initial corps of 50 teachers.
Since then, The Lynch Foundation’s support has helped TFA grow into three regions across the state:
- Greater Boston
- Western Massachusetts
- The South Coast
Annually, TFA provides over 300 teachers across 70 partner schools in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts is also home to a thriving TFA alumni community of nearly 2,300. The impacts of TFA are continually felt throughout the state as alumni and students continue to thrive and lead change across the state’s public education system.