Today, Teach For Italy officially joined Teach For All, becoming the global network’s 53rd partner. An independent nonprofit organization, Teach For Italy envisions a country where all young people, regardless of their location, family background and economic circumstances, have the opportunity to receive the best possible education and unlock their full potential. In partnership with the Italian Ministry of Education, parent and teacher associations, and public and private sector allies, Teach For Italy is working to improve educational quality and expand opportunity in the most underserved schools and communities in Italy. The organization 's mission is to recruit and develop promising young graduates and professionals to teach in Italy’s under-served schools, and continue to support their development as leaders working together with communities and others to improve educational outcomes for all children. 

Over the last 20 years, poverty and inequality in Italy has increased, while investment in public education has decreased, and continues to be among the lowest across the European Union. Many educational districts face a chronic lack of teachers—it is predicted that this year there will be over 150,000 teaching positions that won’t be filled—which forces too many schools to start the academic year with empty classrooms, particularly in math and science. Compounding that challenge, nearly half of all teachers in Italy are aged 50 or above and will retire within the next decade, resulting in a need to replace a large percentage of the country’s teaching force in the coming years. 

Today in Italy, only 8% of children from families with at most lower secondary education will receive a degree, while 65% of children whose parents earned a degree will receive one. It’s this cycle of inequity that Teach For Italy is working to disrupt, to ensure that all of the country’s children, including its most marginalized, have the opportunity to realize their potential. The organization will begin recruiting its first cohort of teaching fellows in October to teach in school districts with a structural lack of teachers in September 2020. 

Teach For Italy’s Founder and CEO, Andrea Pastorelli, has more than 15 years of experience working with diverse organizations on issues related to human rights, public health, poverty and inequality, and is deeply committed to changing the status quo for all children in Italy. "Italy's public school system is failing an increasing number of students, especially in low-income communities, leaving students without the skills to succeed,” he explained. “As partners in the Teach For All network, Teach For Italy is determined to confront one of the biggest challenges of our generation by committing to help students in Italy get a fair education.”

We’re thrilled to welcome Teach For Italy to the global network and look forward to learning from and collaborating with its staff, teachers, future alumni, and the communities where they work. Learn more about Teach For Italy and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.