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Lenfest grant to beef up teacher recruiting

The Lenfest Foundation has awarded a $10 million challenge grant to a group that recruits teachers for distressed school districts in Philadelphia and Camden.

The Lenfest Foundation has awarded a $10 million challenge grant to a group that recruits teachers for distressed school districts in Philadelphia and Camden.

Teach for America must recruit at least 300 college grads each year in order to receive $1 million a year. The challenge will last 10 years.

"The money will be used to recruit, select, train, place and support professionally our teachers over the course of their two-year program," said Mike Wang, executive director of Teach for America, Greater Philadelphia.

Under the program, the teachers must commit to teach for two years in districts serving low-income families.

As part of the challenge, in any year recruitment exceeds 400 teachers the grant will be increased to $1.5 million.

The Lenfest Foundation, established in 2000 by media entrepreneur and philanthropist H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest, is dedicated to supporting education, arts and environmental programs.