Teach For America New York Announces First-Ever Statewide Summit

Executive Director: Tia Morris

ROCHESTER, NY —Teach For America New York (TFA NY) announced it is gathering educators, policymakers, and local organizations in Rochester, New York for its first Statewide Summit. Hosted at The Strathallan Hotel on April 17-18, 2026, the symposium will gather leaders committed to educational excellence for a weekend focused on advancing transformative change in classrooms and communities statewide. Rochester was selected as the host city in recognition of its strong network of educators and community partners working to expand opportunity for students across the region.

New York State is experiencing a cultural, technological, and educational renaissance. However, teacher vacancies, child poverty, and lagging student proficiencies threaten this statewide momentum. The Statewide Summit will feature networking, workshops, case studies, and speaker sessions designed to mobilize guests around the importance of access to quality education and to demonstrate how collective action can drive meaningful impact

“For more than three decades, Teach For America New York has worked alongside administrations, educators, and families to ensure our education system is serving and supporting all children,” said Teach For America New York Executive Director, Tia Morris. "The Statewide Summit honors how far the organization has come and charts the path forward with new and longstanding local partners committed to educational excellence across the state.” Keynoting the event is New York State Regent, Adrian Hale. Hale was born and raised in Rochester and is a civic leader throughout the greater Rochester community.

“The future of our state will be shaped not only by the policies we write, but by the people we form,” said Hale. “Education is the great engine of possibility, and its success depends on our willingness to work together beyond the binaries that too often define our public life. When leaders from classrooms, communities, and government gather in spaces like the TFA NY Statewide Summit with a shared commitment to our children, we affirm a simple truth: the work of forming the next generation belongs to all of us.”

Teach For America expands opportunity by developing courageous, purpose-driven leaders who teach, serve and lead in urban and rural classrooms and make a lifelong commitment to ensuring that one day all children in the country will have the opportunity of an excellent education. In New York, what started with just 200 teachers in 1990 has grown to more than 7,000 program alumni, teachers, and tutors sparking change in education and inspiring action and progress for thousands of students. In addition to New York City, Teach For America New York actively works with communities in Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse to meet local needs, engage its network, and help influence positive change in New York State’s education system.

The event begins with a networking reception on Friday, April 17, from 6–8 p.m. at The Strathallan Hotel. Programming continues on Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring a keynote address from Adrian Hale, followed by lunch and two breakout sessions designed to foster dialogue, collaboration and actionable insights.

For more information on Teach For America New York and the Statewide Summit, please visit

www.teachforamerica.org/events/teach-for-america-new-york-2026-statewide-summit.

About Teach For America

Teach For America works in partnership with communities across the country to reach One Day when every child has access to an excellent education. Founded in 1990, Teach For America finds, develops, and supports a growing network of leaders who expand opportunity for children from classrooms, schools, and every sector and field that impact a young person’s education. Today, Teach For America is a force of over 70,000 alumni, corps members, and Ignite fellows working in pursuit of profound change so that one day every child has the opportunity to learn, lead, thrive, and co-create a future filled with possibility. Teach For America is a proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network. For more information, visit www.teachforamerica.org and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Threads.