James Amdt uses hands-on activities as much as possible when teaching his eighth grade science students about Newton’s three laws of motion. By devising ways to protect a crash test dummy (aka an egg) during a head-on collision, the students at Pueblo Del Sol Elementary School in Mesa, Ariz., learn a lot about math, physics and the value of teamwork. They also have a lot of fun as they build high-speed ramps, chutes and models to see which approach works best.
James’s creative approach to teaching wasn’t learned in school because he didn’t major in education. Rather, he majored in psychology and political science and then joined Teach for America (TFA) when he graduated from the University of San Diego. TFA is a non-profit organization that aims to eliminate educational inequity by placing high-achieving, recent college graduates in teaching positions in low-income schools throughout the United States.
Sundt has given $60,000 to TFA’s Phoenix chapter during the past two years to help fund the recruitment, training and ongoing support of teachers like James. To date, 12 math and science teachers have been placed in schools in and around Phoenix with the money donated by the company.
“Sundt’s support has been incredible,” said Christina Spicer, managing director of development for TFA in Phoenix. “The money for teachers in each community is raised locally, so Sundt’s funding has directly impacted the size of our teaching core in Arizona. For our teachers to know that the community values education enough to fund their work means a lot to them.”