TEAMS has provided a network of teachers, like-minded educators, and resources for a diverse group of professionals who are attempting to create change in today's school system. TEAMS not only provides critical financial support for honorable work going on in the classroom, but helps teachers reach out to each other to receive the learning that they need to become better equipped to serve their students. Without the commitment of programs such as TEAMS, educators such as myself and others would not be able to network and develop as effectively as leaders of social change and diversity.
— Angela Devencenzi
The overwhelming amount of support, resources, and opportunities that I have received from TEAMS staff is difficult to put into words. As a student in the Center for Teaching Excellence and Social Justice at USF and as an alumna of SF's public schools, a dedication to supporting and promoting youth voice and activism in the bay area is my priority. TEAMS' commitment to youth empowerment is evident in the high quality of resources and grassroots community organizations that are a part of each TEAMS seminar. TEAMS provided 10 students from my school with the opportunity to attend the Cesar Chavez Leadership conference in 2003 and participate in a sustainable service learning project that nurtured the leadership skills of the students. As a result of the hardwork and dedication of TEAMS staff, my participation in TEAMS has been and continues to be an integral part of the positive experiences I have had in higher education and in my own teaching.
— Marisa Varalli-Ayag
TEAMS & Americorps provided me the space and support to enhance my teaching skills so that I could be most effective working with urban youth and communities.
— Tony Santa Ana
I feel that TEAMS has been an integral part in my success. I know that in times of need I can always depend on the TEAMS staff for support, advice or maybe just a stimulating conversation. It is the amazing TEAMS staff that gives it the power to actively recruit and continually support students of diverse needs and backgrounds.
— Simon Hanukai
I would like to thank the TEAMS program staff and everyone involved in it. The seminars were great! They help me understand my students better. I learned new techniques to use in the classroom for community building, discipline, and many ways to enjoy teaching and make students enjoy learning. I also learned things to encourage students to improve their attendance. Our break-out sessions with our TEAMS family brought us close together. We shared our classroom experiences and come up with good ideas through collaboration. All the members of the TEAMS Staff are very helpful, encouraging, and understanding to our needs. The financial aid was God sent. I could not have enrolled in my classes at USF without it. I truly enjoy this program, and I'm sorry that I just learned about it this year. I certainly hope that this will continue to help other teachers like me to comply with the state requirements.
— Lina Villanueva
Working with Teams Americorps was great because it helped me network with like minded comrades concerned with implementing change in schools from the ground up.
— Matt Tyler
As a pre-service teacher I was inspired and challenged by the TEAMS program on a monthly basis. Now, in my second year of TEAMS and first year as a full-time classroom teacher, I am learning new leadership skills while finding new ways to incorporate service learning into my students' academic pursuits. I plan to continue to use service learning as a tool in my classroom to teach citizenship, leadership, and standards-based lessons.
— Rachel Rosenberg
TEAMS has helped me look at myself as an educator, a professional and a person. TEAMS values what I have to offer in education, and reaffirmed my goals as a teacher, and as a member of a larger community.
— Norman Antonio Zelaya
TEAMS gave me real world experience with Service Learning projects that I otherwise would not have had. Me and another Fellow took the students out of the classroom and into their community to try and teach them about community responsibility and pride. I believe this out of class curriculum that TEAMS help orchestrate was more beneficial than anything that could have been accomplished with a book in a classroom.
— James Snavely
TEAMS provided me with professional support during my first two years of teaching. I was overwhelmed when I entered my own classroom. Knowing I had TEAMS seminars to look forward to and TEAMS compatriots with whom to consult made the tough times manageable. Now, I have a fantastic life-long network of professional resources.
— Kate Shoemaker
TEAMS has been a wonderful resource for me in my first year of teaching. Not only have the seminars been valuable and informative, but the financial aid has helped me greatly as I am still attending school while I teach. I recommend TEAMS to any teacher.
— Jenifer McKitrick
You folks are the greatest! No questions asked! Your support is tremendous and the intellectuals that compose TEAMS (its staff and participants) make the experience at USF worth it!