BENTONVILLE, Ark, July 31, 2013 -- The Walton Family Foundation announced today that it is investing $20 million over two years in the national nonprofit Teach For America. This investment will support the recruitment, training and professional development of nearly 4,000 first- and second-year teachers in nine communities, three of which -- Detroit, Indianapolis and Memphis -- the foundation will be supporting for the first time. The foundation, the largest private supporter of Teach For America, has now invested more than $95 million in the organization since 1993

"With this critical investment, Teach For America will be able to bring effective teachers into some of the most under-resourced classrooms in the country while simultaneously working to develop more of our talented corps members as long-term champions of educational equity and excellence," said Matt Kramer, co-chief executive officer of Teach For America.

Elisa Villanueva Beard, co-chief executive officer of Teach For America, stated: "The Walton Family Foundation's continued support enables Teach For America to expand our national network of corps members and alumni, who are dedicated to improving educational outcomes for children in our urban and rural communities."

Projected Teach For America Corps Members Supported By Walton Family Foundation Investment 2013 - 2015:

The foundation is expanding its investment in Teach For America because of the organization's ability to produce leaders who are helping to transform public education in the US. Two-thirds of Teach For America's nearly 28,000 alumni work full-time in education, and more than 800 alumni serve as school principals or school system leaders. In addition, many alumni are now elected officials, policy and advocacy leaders as well as entrepreneurs that have launched innovative efforts to expand educational opportunity.

The foundation investment will support the recruitment, training and professional development of nearly 4,000 first- and second-year teachers in nine regions: Denver, CO; Detroit, MI; Indianapolis, IN; Los Angeles, CA; Memphis, TN; Milwaukee, WI; Newark, NJ; New Orleans, LA; and Washington, D.C. Notably, three of these cities -- Detroit, Indianapolis and Memphis -- are receiving direct support for the first time. This will result in more than 1,400 new teachers across these three regions.

"The Walton Family Foundation's support for Teach For America is driven by the organization's proven ability to create a pipeline of outstanding education reform leaders who are empowering parents with the choice of great schools for their children," said Ed Kirby, deputy director of the foundation's K-12 Education Reform efforts. "Trailblazers like KIPP founders Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin (Houston '92), managing director of Uncommon Newark and NYC elementary schools Julie Jackson (New Jersey '94) and StudentsFirst founder Michelle Rhee (Baltimore '92) entered the field of education through Teach For America. Because of their efforts, and those of thousands of other TFA alumni, more children in our nation have access to a high-quality, publicly funded education."

In addition to supporting these nine regions, the foundation announced that they will also support Teach For America - Mississippi Delta with a $4.3 million investment to recruit, train and support more than 1,000 corps members. The Walton Family Foundation began investing in TFA-Delta in 1993. Since then, foundation support for TFA in the Delta region totals nearly $15 million.

Editor's Note: The Walton Family Foundation exists independently of the Walmart Foundation. Each foundation operates with separate sources of funding and governance.

About the Walton Family Foundation
Driven by the urgent need to improve K-12 education in the United States, the Walton Family Foundation has invested more than $1 billion to date in initiatives that expand parental choice and equal opportunity in education. Empowering parents to choose quality schools, regardless of type -- traditional public, private or public charter school -- will help spur the bold transformation of our national K-12 system of public education. Our nation's children will only reach their potential in today's global economy by having access to a high-quality, publicly funded education. Visit the foundation at: www.waltonfamilyfoundation.org.

About Teach For America
Teach For America works in partnership with communities to expand educational opportunity for children facing the challenges of poverty. Founded in 1990, Teach For America recruits and develops a diverse corps of outstanding individuals of all academic disciplines to commit two years to teach in high-need schools and become lifelong leaders in the movement to end educational inequity. This fall, 11,000 corps members will teach in 48 urban and rural regions across the country, while 32,000 alumni will work across sectors to ensure that all children have access to an excellent education. For more information, visit www.teachforamerica.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.