#8000strong

This year sees our ambassador network grow to over 8,000, all of whom share a common experience and commitment to creating positive, lasting change in education.

It’s a community that brings like-minded people together - online or in person - for inspiration and to share ideas. By working together they can help every young person gets the education they deserve. Here’s what some of them are doing and the positive change they continue to make through the network: 

Naresh (’11 ambassador) was a hedge-fund manager before joining the Leadership Development Programme. Seven years on he’s now head of department at a Teach First partner school.
 
“The ambassador network is a fantastic way to meet others from a range of backgrounds and careers who have a common goal and purpose of eliminating educational disadvantage. It’s an excellent place to share thoughts and ideas and can enable teachers to gain support from others in the ambassador community.”
 

Mei (’06 ambassador) taught history before moving to Berlin to study a Master of Public Policy degree. After completing her studies, she returned to the classroom, switching phase from secondary to primary, and is now a headteacher of a primary school. 
 
“Being a headteacher can be a really lonely job, but knowing there is a network of ambassadors out there who I can call on for advice, and who have the same vision and values as I do, is absolutely invaluable!”

 
Gérémy (’15 ambassador) taught in the South West before relocating to a primary school in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The ambassador community helped him build a new local network, and find a coach through Teach First connections. 
 
“I met some fantastic, supportive people and coaching has really helped me be the best teacher I can be whilst looking for other opportunities outside of the classroom. Meeting like-minded professionals has helped me reflect on my teaching practice and my career, but also reminds me of the bigger picture and why I do what I do.”
 

Lorna (’05 ambassador) is currently a senior civil servant in the Cabinet Office. Her experience in the classroom, and passion and enthusiasm to drive positive change at system level, have empowered her to help reshape the educational landscape for the better.
 
“Teach First is a fantastic foundation for any future career. The presentation, communication and organisation skills you learn are second to none, and set you apart from your colleagues if you chose to move on from teaching.”

Now a strategy manager, Cyrus (’10 ambassador) leads his company's ambassador network. They build strong connections between business and education, from developing inspiration opportunities for students, to delivering coaching and CPD opportunities for teachers. 
 
“As someone who is no longer in teaching, it’s great to have a network of ambassadors at my company, which gives us a different ‘home’ in the organisation and enables us to do a lot of Teach First events and activities to support staff and students in different ways.”

 
Chris (’12 ambassador) taught English in Manchester for four years. He’s now a school governor. Through the ambassador community, he’s been able to connect with other governors to share strategies and help people with their governor applications.
 
“Governance is a great way to continue making an impact on education, whether you stay in the classroom or not. People with experience of the day-to-day realities of classroom teaching, even relatively new teachers, have a lot of really useful insights to contribute to the broader strategic discussions that a governing board has. I really enjoyed sharing my experiences of being a governor with the community.”