Lilly Endowment gives The Mind Trust $3.4 million to expand Teach for America, The New Teacher Project

Teacher training programs Teach for America and The New Teacher Project could grow their ranks in Indianapolis by more than 300 educators thanks to a $3.4 million grant from Lilly Endowment to education advocacy group The Mind Trust.

The Mind Trust, which has received more than $14 million from the Lilly Endowment since 2007, announced today it will work with the national organizations over the next two years to recruit and support the new teachers and school leaders for high-need public schools.

“Excellent teachers and school leaders are crucial to student success, and this grant will go a long way toward continuing to bring the best and brightest educators to Indianapolis’ public schools,” said David Harris, founder and CEO of The Mind Trust said in a statement. “Lilly Endowment has once again demonstrated its commitment to improving education in Indianapolis for all students, and we are grateful to the Endowment for its support and vision.”

Teach for America and The New Teacher Project are alternative teacher certification programs that recruit new teachers from all over the country to serve short-term commitments inside high poverty schools. The programs have been in Indianapolis since 2007 and 2006, respectively, and altogether have placed nearly 700 educators in the city’s schools to date.

Most of the grant, or $2 million, will help Teach For America recruit 200 recent college graduates over two years to teach in struggling schools. About $400,000 of the grant will help train 20 future Indianapolis school leaders through TFA’s principal fellowship program. More than $1 million will support TNTP, formerly known as The New Teacher Project, to recruit 100 new classroom teachers.