Texas Border Business
Rio Grande Valley — Education nonprofit and leadership development organization Teach For America Rio Grande Valley is celebrating another year of its high-impact tutoring initiative, the Ignite Fellowship.
Now in its fourth year in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), Ignite continues to significantly expand access to high-impact tutoring that research shows works. In alignment with TFA RGV’s 2030 goal to double the number of children reaching key educational milestones in communities where they work, Ignite was launched in the Valley as a strategy to help drive results. During the 2024–25 school year, 191 Fellows served 408 students across the Harlingen, Edcouch-Elsa, and Donna school districts, providing personalized academic support.
“We’ve seen firsthand how tutoring can accelerate learning and expand opportunity for students,” said Jonathan Stevens, Senior Managing Director of Networks & Strategy. “We brought Ignite to the Valley to ensure all kids have access to individualized support. When programs like Ignite are embedded in schools, we help unlock the potential in every student and move closer to a future with an abundance of opportunity for students.”
Ignite is co-designed with school leaders and educators to align with schools’ academic priorities in middle school math and reading. The Ignite Fellows are trained and supported college students that deliver virtual tutoring in small groups of 2–3 students, three times a week during the school day, for 12 weeks each semester. Teach For America RGV also partners locally to run a variation on the model which matches 8th grade students with a mentor to support them in navigating the transition to high school and putting them on a pathway towards college and career readiness.
Recent data from the 2024–2025 school year illustrates Ignite’s impact in the Rio Grande Valley:
- 100% of schools reported positive impact on students’ academic growth
- 100% of schools report positive impact on students’ engagement
- 93% of students say fellows taught them in the way they learn best
Ignite also reimagines how schools can support student learning by expanding the role of teachers. Fellows provide targeted support that reduces teacher workload while ensuring students receive the attention they need.
The fellowship also cultivates a new generation of educators. During the 2024–2025 academic year, 32.3% of Ignite fellows who were seniors applied to join the Teach For America corps, with an 80.5% acceptance rate.
“Ignite has been an incredible way to introduce college students, particularly Gen Z, to the teaching profession early in their academic journey,” said Jemina Bernard, President & Chief Operating Officer of Teach For America. “Through the fellowship, they see the tangible impact they can have—and that exposure fuels a deep passion for education.”
Through its rigorous design, commitment to educational excellence, and impact-driven model, the Ignite Fellowship continues to play a powerful role in shaping brighter futures and strengthening Rio Grande Valley schools—one student, one relationship, and one tutoring session at a time.
