THERE ARE MORE THAN 16 MILLION CHILDREN GROWING UP IN POVERTY IN THE UNITED STATES.

These statistics are not a reflection of our children’s potential. Kids growing up in poverty can and do achieve at the highest levels. Instead, these statistics reflect the systemic lack of equity for kids in low-income communities.

There are numerous forces behind this injustice—racism, outdated policies, lack of resources, and much more—so there isn’t just one simple fix. To make things right we must come together as students, teachers, principals, activists, social entrepreneurs, politicians, and all others to disrupt the causes of injustice and create solutions. It’s not just the lives of individual children at stake—this affects all of us. And it’s the responsibility of all of us to change things. Our mission is to enlist, develop, and mobilize as many as possible of our nation's most promising future leaders to grow and strengthen the movement for educational equity and excellence.

We recruit remarkable and diverse individuals to become teachers in low-income communities. They commit to teach for two years and are hired by our partner public schools across the country. During these two years they are called corps members. We train and support corps members in the practices of great teachers and leaders. With hard work, perseverance, and strong partnerships with their students, students’ families, and communities, corps members can dramatically increase the opportunities available to their students in school and in life. Corps members don’t just teach their students, they learn from them. At the end of two years, they use those lessons to choose their path forward. Many stay in the classroom. Others move into politics, school leadership, nonprofit work, advocacy, and more. All of their paths matter because together they form a network—connecting, expanding, and strengthening the movement to give all kids access to a great education.