"Teach For America and the School of Social Work share a common passion for pioneering social change, particularly in community, school and social service settings," said Edward F. Lawlor, Ph.D., dean and the William E. Gordon Professor.

Janice Wells-White, assistant director of admissions at the School of Social Work, said it is a goal of the school to recruit strong analytical leaders committed to making a difference.

"We are confident that Teach For America corps members and alumni possess the characteristics we seek, and our new admissions incentives reflect our commitment to attract Teach For America's best and brightest," Wells-White said.

The social work school is offering numerous admissions benefits package to TFA corps members and alumni, such as:

• A two-year deferral for students who are admitted to the M.S.W. program and choose to join TFA;

• No application fee;

• A $35,000 Dean's Scholarship award for two TFA alumni annually;

• One-for-one tuition award match for members and alumni granted TFA educational award funds (for example, TFA awards $9,450 in educational awards and GWB matches with a $9,450 tuition award, giving the TFA corps member or alumnus a total of $18,900 in tuition funds);

• Corps members and alumni may be considered for other GWB scholarship awards available to admitted eligible scholarship-worthy students.

"In order to achieve educational excellence and equity, we need leaders in every profession working to address socioeconomic disparities that contribute to the academic achievement gap in our country," said Eric Scroggins, executive director of Teach For America-St. Louis.

"Through our partnership with the George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Teach For America alumni can build upon the insight and experience they gained in the classroom to tackle those underlying conditions and expand opportunities for low-income communities."

Courtney Prentis, a TFA and School of Social Work alumna, said that earning a master of social work degree from WUSTL was "the perfect complement to my work with Teach For America."

"Combined, these experiences provided me with the foundation needed to pursue my interest in youth and community development," said Prentis, who serves as the youth services coordinator for Catholic Family Services in south St. Louis City.

"Unlike other graduate programs I explored, School of Social Work professors are on the cutting edge of social justice research."

For more information about the TFA partnership, call Wells-White at 935-6694.