City Year is proud to partner with Teach For America to fuel the number of teachers working in our country’s systemically under-resourced classrooms.
Teach For America offers City Year alums
Teaching and service opportunity
- Full salary (up to $62,000/year) and benefits
- Relocation funding, baseline $5,000 grant for all corps members (with an additional $5,000 grant—totaling $10,000—for individuals who are eligible for Pell Grants, are DACA recipients and other eligible immigrants)
- Eligibility for an additional Segal AmeriCorps Education Award for those who have not yet completed two years of AmeriCorps service
- K-12 grade positions, including core subjects, bilingual and special education
- State certification and an optional master’s degree
- Access to a network of 60,000+ alums and alumni leadership pathways (like policy and school leadership)
- Guaranteed one-year deferral to Teach For America if you are accepted into both Senior Corps and Teach For America, so that you can complete your second year with City Year
Why City Year loves Teach For America
Teach For America is a diverse network of leaders who confront educational inequity by teaching for at least two years and then working with unwavering commitment from every sector of society to create a nation free from this injustice. Teach For America corps members commit to teaching for two years in a systemically under-resourced community, where you’re employed by local schools and confront both the challenges and joys of expanding opportunities for kids. If you teach in Chicago Public Schools, for example, your paycheck will come from Chicago Public Schools, and you will earn the same amount as a traditional Chicago Public Schools teacher. However, you are also an AmeriCorps member; and you may qualify to receive loan forbearance and an additional Segal Education Award in addition to your teacher salary.
City Year AmeriCorps members are given significant, additional preference to remain in your City Year region as a Teach For America corps member (if that’s your first choice). You must meet the eligibility requirements for that region (including the minimum GPA, which varies from region to region). At Teach For America, principals make all hiring decisions. If you are interested in teaching in your City Year school, you should schedule a conversation with your principal (and your manager) about potential openings as soon as you are accepted.
Anyone with City Year experience who applies to Teach For America will move straight to the interview stage after your initial application. Serving with City Year strengthens your Teach For America application, as you’re involved in mission-aligned leadership work. Many City Year AmeriCorps members who did not get accepted to Teach For America in undergrad or as an early career professional have reapplied, been accepted and had an incredible impact in the Teach For America corps, which currently includes nearly 150 City Year alums.
Create an account on Teach For America’s website or attend a virtual event to learn more about additional resources and to kickstart your application.
To apply
The final deadline for the 2024-2025 application cycle is March 10. Learn more about the application process here.
For help with your application, visit our Teach For America interview and application tips page. You can also read these preparation tips from Teach For America, which include sample résumés, and their 2023 Digital Brochure.
To identify your City Year affiliation
All eligible City Year AmeriCorps members and alums should indicate your City Year experience on the application, which will guarantee you an interview.
For more information
If you have a specific question or want to learn more, please email Abby Armstrong, Managing Director of Recruitment Partnerships & national City Year liaison, at abby.armstrong@teachforamerica.org.
Please note that all admissions decisions are made by Teach For America. AmeriCorps members and alums interested in the program must complete the full application process.
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