One of the exciting things about the 50 “Teach for America” recruits coming to the Kansas City School District this year is that they come so highly qualified.
The new teachers, all recent college graduates, were selected from a national applicant pool of 25,000.
They represent some of the top minds graduating from the nation’s colleges and universities.
In total, 3,700 of these new graduates will be placed in urban and rural schools across the nation for two-year commitments after they receive specialized training.
Teach for America is a phenomenal program, but it raises a question: What happens to the students who are not chosen for the highly competitive positions?
And how could communities do a better job of harnessing such youthful talent and energy?
One answer is coming from Kansas, where a solid proposal is before the Kansas Board of Regents. The board is being asked to fund the Kansas Corps, a roster of college students who could mobilize for community service projects, from answering needs after a natural disaster to weekend service projects.
The brainchild of Fort Hays State University Professor Curt Brungardt, this proposal has already been piloted through one service project and is being showcased by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities as a model for other states.
Imagine if every state in the nation could effectively tap into the newly learned skills of college students, organizing them by abilities and availability.
The positive impact could be tremendous, both for the students and the communities they would serve.
