To recruit, mentor, and train culturally diverse and economically challenged students from high school through college and place them as effective teachers and committed leaders who strengthen schools and communities.

TSTT will be the national career development model that is recognized for addressing teacher shortages and increasing the number of culturally diverse educators and other professionals.

• TSTT was founded in 1994 by Dr. Bettye Perkins, President and CEO. It was established in 1998, as an independent, tax-exempt 501(c) (3) organization. TSTT is a partnership of school districts, businesses, foundations, communities and colleges who provide mentors, internships and financial support.
• TSTT serves over 800 high school students and college students who come from high schools located in New York, Connecticut, Virginia and Massachusetts. Forty five percent (45%) of the students are African-American; 40% are Hispanic/Latino and 20% are from other ethnic groups. Seventy-five percent (75%) of these students are first generation to attend college.
• TSTT students are required to attain a “B+” average by senior year in high school, volunteer as tutors for two (2) hours each week during the school year and twenty (20) hours during the summer. Some of the support services the students receive are tutor training, free SAT preparation, teacher mentorship, college visitations, career counseling and academic assistance.
• TSTT students may be eligible for a minimum 50% tuition scholarship from our nationally recognized college and university partners. The complete listing is available on our website at: tstt.org
• The TSTT high school graduation rate is 95%, college admission rate is 96%, and the college graduation rate is 70%. TSTT has placed over 165 graduates, who are now teachers. TSTT has a five (5) year teacher retention rate of 90%, compared to 50% nationally.
• TSTT was selected in 2014 to answer the nation’s call to join the “100K IN 10” Initiative – a network of partners collaborating to address the nation’s shortage of STEM teachers and produce 100k Stem Teachers in 10 years. Today, nearly 30% of our high school and college students are interested in STEM professions and over 20% of our alumni teachers are STEM teachers.
• The Education Trust -New York 2017 publication, “See Our Truth” and The Albert Shanker Institute 2015 publication , “The State of Teacher Diversity in American Education” spotlighted TSTT as one (1) of eight (8) national programs that is positively impacting the recruitment and retention of teachers of color.
• In 2012, TSTT was selected by the Social Impact Exchange as a charter member of the S&I 100 Index of top U.S. non- profits that have been carefully vetted and are deemed as effective. Donors may have confidence that they are contributing to charitable organizations that make a measurable social impact.
• TSTT has received national recognition from the US Department of Education, for its successful career partnership model and was cited as “an innovative program that embodies many of the goals and objectives for educational excellence and should serve as a model for other regions in the nation.”