K-12 Education

About the program

The Transition to Teaching program, known on this site as the K-12 Sector, is addressing the critical shortage of math and science teachers by leveraging the brainpower and backgrounds of some of the company's most experienced employees. Through Transition to Teaching, IBM is enabling its employees to become fully accredited math, science, or computer science teachers while still working at IBM.

Transition to Teaching is a focal point of a new generation of IBM education and community service. Since 1994, IBM has been involved in school reform through Reinventing Education, the company's flagship program with an investment of $75 million worldwide. Through On Demand Community, IBM's community service program, tens of thousands of employees have donated millions of hours of service to local schools and not-for-profit organizations. IBM is committed to leveraging this experience on behalf of our employees and our schools with the goal of expanding the Transition to Teaching program significantly and engage other companies in this important work.

Your Opportunity

Schools in the United States are facing a historic critical shortage of teachers- particularly those with expertise in math and science.

The U.S. produces only about 100,000 engineers each year, compared with millions graduating in other countries like India, China and Brazil. To remain economically competitive, the U.S. must grow its pipeline of engineers and other qualified IT workers.
Simultaneously, 76 million baby boomers are approaching traditional retirement age, with many reporting they plan to continue working in fields where they can give back to their communities.

Proven fit and successful

Many experienced IBM employees have math and science backgrounds and have made it clear that when they are ready to leave IBM, they aren't ready to stop contributing. They want to continue working in positions that offer them the opportunity to give back to society in an extremely meaningful way. Transferring their skills from IBM to the classroom is a natural for many - especially in the areas of math and science.
Today, 100 IBM employees are participating in the Transition to Teaching program, and 23 graduates have completed their teacher certification and are teaching in classrooms across the country.

IBM's Transition to Teaching is a valuable resource for IBM employees whether they chose to participate or just value the innovative approach to help address the critical shortage of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math teachers. IBM has learned a lot about the critical path to a second career in teaching and is eager to share our perspective with other companies as well as the education community