FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 14, 2022

CONTACT: Patricia Lamiell, lamiell@tc.columbia.edu, 973-449-7086

New York, NY – A new gift of $1.7 million from the Jaffe family has bolstered funding for the Endowed Jaffe Scholarship Fund for Peace Corps Fellows. With this new gift, the Jaffes have contributed a total of nearly $6.5 million since 1990 to the landmark Peace Corps Fellows program that supports returning Peace Corps volunteers who pursue master’s degrees in teacher education at Teachers College, Columbia University, and teach in New York City public schools following graduation.

The gift by Teachers College Trustee Emeritus Elliot S. Jaffe and his wife Roslyn reflects the Jaffes’ continued commitment to endow and sustain the pioneering program at the College to prepare returning Peace Corps volunteers for careers in education.

“The Jaffe family, through deed and generosity for more than three decades, has shaped the lives of young people educated in classrooms imbued with the experiences, compassion and dedication of former Peace Corps volunteers,” said Teachers College President Thomas Bailey.

“Mere gratitude cannot fully express the thanks owed to Elliot and Roslyn by TC, the Fellows and countless K-12 students past, present and future.”

The Endowed Jaffe Scholarship Fund for Peace Corps Fellows is expected to support two-thirds of tuition for approximately six students per cohort, with up to two cohorts funded at a time. Teachers College will provide the remaining one-third in tuition support.

“My father-in-law strongly believes that those who have served in the Peace Corps, who then study and train at Teachers College, have the foundation to become great teachers in the New York City school system,” said Teachers College Trustee Helen Jaffe. “Having served in some of the most challenging countries in the world, the Jaffe Peace Corps Fellows bring the energy, trained skills, experience and desire to change the world through education.”

Since its inception in 1985, Teachers College’s program has placed more than 750 returned Peace Corps volunteers in New York City public schools. Jaffe Fellows teach full-time for two years while simultaneously pursuing a master’s degree in education or other area of study at Teachers College. They commit to teaching in the City’s public schools for a minimum of four years.

“If you think the Peace Corps was the only ‘toughest job you’ll ever love,’ think again,” has become a program mantra. The announcement of the new gift coincided with the renewal of TC’s program by the Peace Corps for a five-year term.

A prominent player in the history of the Peace Corps, the College was involved in the creation of UNESCO and launched a teacher training program in East Africa that was the precursor to the Peace Corps. In the early 1960s, many Peace Corps Volunteers trained at Teachers College to prepare for service abroad. TC was the site of the nation’s first Peace Corps Fellows Program for returning Peace Corps volunteers. Today, there are more than 200 Peace Corps Fellows programs across the country.

Elliot Jaffe’s vision was to create a robust support system for repatriating Peace Corps volunteers. Peace Corps Fellows at TC receive rigorous preparation, continued professional development, a faculty advisor, one-on-one mentorship and support for two years, and monthly professional seminars. Once they graduate from the program, they become part of an established support network of public school teachers and educational leaders. Peace Corps Fellows alumni host incoming Fellows in their classrooms, provide advice and lead enriching workshops for current Fellows.

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About Teachers College, Columbia University

Founded in 1887, Teachers College, Columbia University, the first and largest graduate school of education in the United States, is perennially ranked among the nation’s best. Teachers College’s mission is to create a smarter, healthier, and more equitable and peaceful world. Teachers College engages in research and prepares professionals in its three main areas of expertise—education, health and psychology—to work with public and private entities in local, national and global communities and inform public policy. Students choose from among 150 separate programs to earn graduate degrees, which are conferred by Columbia University. While it is closely affiliated with Columbia University and collaborates with it on many programs, the College is an independent, autonomous institution with a separate, independent governing board, president, and financial endowment.