Partnership Supports NAZ Scholars this Summer

In Historic Move for State, Teach for America Alternative Licensure Pathway Approved.

We are thrilled to share the news of a groundbreaking partnership—years in the making—between Teach for America (TFA), the University of Minnesota and the Northside Achievement Zone.

Thanks to years of collaboration and advocacy, this summer Teach for America will hold its training institute in Minneapolis and will use the 21^st Century Academy (hosted by NAZ Anchor Partner Kwanzaa) and Beacons Academy at City View (hosted by NAZ Anchor Partner Nellie Stone Johnson Beacons) as their training classrooms.

This is the first alternative teaching licensure program to be approved in the state of Minnesota.

For NAZ scholars this means intensive high-energy academic instruction with a very low teacher to student ratio, partnered with robust programming by the host programs. Hopes are high for significant advancement in math and reading proficiency for NAZ scholars by summer’s end.

NAZ Education Director Jaimee Bohning sent an email to the ExL and TFA program leads in advance of the June 16 launch telling them their work would be “community changing and will necessarily alter the trajectory of our scholars in North Minneapolis.” Energy around this exciting new partnership is palpable.

We look forward to watching scholar progress this summer and to sharing what we learned with you in the fall!