TFA Greater Chicago–Northwest Indiana to Celebrate 25 Years if Impact with Milestone Gala
TFA Founder Wendy Kopp and New CEO Aneesh Sohoni Headline the Celebration Alongside Local Executive Director Anajah Philogene, Marking a Legacy of Leadership, Partnership and Progress Across Chicago and Northwest Indiana.
CHICAGO, April 21, 2025 – On Thursday, May 1, 2025 education nonprofit Teach For America (TFA) Greater Chicago-Northwest Indiana will commemorate a milestone—25 years of advancing educational excellence across the region—with a celebratory gala at the Aon Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier. The evening will bring together 500 guests—educators, alumni, civic leaders, philanthropic partners, and advocates—to honor TFA’s impact across Greater Chicago-Northwest Indiana and rally support for the work ahead.
The event will feature remarks from Wendy Kopp, who founded Teach For America 35 years ago and now leads Teach For All, the global network of similar organizations in more than 60 countries. The program will also include appearances by Aneesh Sohoni, former executive director of the Greater Chicago-Northwest Indiana region and newly appointed CEO of Teach For America, and Anajah Philogene, current executive director of Teach For America Greater Chicago-Northwest Indiana.
Teach For America is a national nonprofit that finds, develops, and supports exceptional leaders who are committed to ensuring every child receives an excellent education. TFA teachers—known as corps members—serve for at least two years in under-resourced schools across rural and urban communities. In Greater Chicago-Northwest Indiana, corps members teach in partner schools throughout North Chicago, the City of Chicago, and Northwest Indiana. With 130 first and second year educators teaching in classrooms this year, they join a growing network of more than 3,500 local alumni working across classrooms, schools, districts, and sectors to drive long-term change.
Guided by the theme "Past, Present, Promise," the 25th Anniversary Gala will reflect on the impact that corps members and alumni have had in partnership with local students, families and school communities, and cast a bold vision for the years to come. Executive Director Anajah Philogene, a Chicago native and proud alumna of the city’s public schools, emphasized the personal significance of the moment. “Chicago is where my journey began—and it is an honor to be contributing to educational excellence and opportunity in the city that raised me,” Philogene said. “This 25th anniversary is a moment to honor the people and progress that brought us here—and to recommit to the promise we make to every child: that their potential will be seen, nurtured, and realized.”
Since its founding in 2000, Teach For America Greater Chicago-Northwest Indiana has developed a network of extraordinary leaders—working in classrooms, schools, policy, nonprofit, and private sectors—who are united in the belief that every child deserves access to an excellent education. The 25th Anniversary Gala will celebrate this coalition of impact while calling on the network to continue building toward the region’s 2030 goal to double the number of students who are reaching key educational milestones, indicating they are on a path to economic mobility and a future filled with possibility.
"Progress in education begins with communities uniting around shared goals for their children’s learning and driving change through local efforts, and the Chicago community has been building this kind of change effort for years," shared Teach For America CEO Aneesh Sohoni. “Before the pandemic, Chicago was one of the fastest improving urban school districts in the country - a testament to what’s possible when educators, families, and community partners come together to engage and support students. While there has been meaningful recovery, there’s still so much more work ahead. Doubling down on what we know works - especially the role of strong talent - will be critical. The region’s continued commitment inspires me as we move forward alongside our partners here in Chicago and across the country to ensure all young people have access to the great education they want and deserve.”
Throughout the evening, TFA will spotlight notable alumni whose careers embody the enduring promise of the organization’s mission. The celebration will culminate in the Night-of-Giving appeal to inspire support of TFA’s ongoing programs and impact. This year’s gala carries an ambitious fundraising goal of $2 million, which will support the region’s efforts to advance toward its 2030 goal: ensuring all students in Greater Chicago-Northwest Indiana have access to an excellent education, grounded in access and opportunity.
For more information on attending or sponsoring the gala, please visit: https://www.teachforamerica.org/25years
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, visitwww.teachforamerica.org and follow us onFacebook,LinkedIn,Instagram andThreads.