Welcome to The
Fundisha
Center Inc
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” -Nelson Mandela
About The
Fundisha CenterInc
The Fundisha Center Inc. is dedicated to improving the educational outcomes for Black children in the Capital District by recruiting and developing black teachers and providing community based culturally centered supplemental educational programming to youth in the Capital District. The center was founded in 2022 to address the urgent need to improve the teacher pipeline. Fundisha (pronounced Foon-dee-sha) is a Kiswahili word that means teach
Our Programs
Teacher Brother Teach Fellowship Program
The Teach Brother Teach! Fellowship is a multi-year program designed to inspire, recruit and support Black men to become elementary and secondary school teachers.
Teacher 2 Teacher Brother 2 Brother Mentorship & Coaching Program
The purpose of the Teacher to Teacher/Brother to Brother program is to develop a cadre of experienced and successful Black male educators to serve as mentors and coaches for the Teach Brother Teach! Fellows.
Supplemental Education & Enrichment Programs
The following supplementary education programs are designed to serve the community while providing opportunities for Black educators to train and mentor TBT fellows and expose students to the teaching profession through practical part time work experience
We're On A Mission Of Big Changes
#Blackteachersmatter
The Fundisha Center Inc. is proud to join the movement to build the Black teacher pipeline. The country is currently experiencing a teacher shortage. The impact of this problem is especially acute in urban areas and therefore has a profound impact on Black students. While 51% of public-school students are children of color, eight out of ten teachers are white and seven out of ten are female. Research has shown that access to a racially and culturally diverse teacher workforce is beneficial to all students, particularly for students of color. According to a 2017 study, researchers from Johns Hopkins University, American University and the University of California Davis, found that having at least one Black teacher in elementary school cuts the high school dropout rates of low-income Black boys by 39% and raises college aspirations among poor students of both sexes by 19%
Testimonials
I am so grateful for the work that The Fundisha Center is doing to increase the number of Black male teachers in the Capital District. Teach Brother Teach! program is a wonderful program and desperately needed to help our children reach their full potential. We need more Black teachers in our schools.
The Fundisha Center ‘s work in the development of Black male teachers will improve student trajectories in the Capital District immediately. In addition, the Fundisha Center’s supplementary education programs represent a golden opportunity for the Capital District to improve the socio-academic well being of students throughout the city. The Fundisha Center is getting more Black teachers in the classroom and improving the academic and social skill sets of Albany’s children —#GoFundisha!
Dr. Kofi LeNiles
