Teach First Danmark
Teach First Danmark is a non-profit association running a two-year program that places university graduates as full-time teachers in Danish public schools serving disadvantaged students, while completing a 150 ECTS merit teacher education. It is part of the global Teach for All network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersKøbenhoved, Denmark
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Teach First Danmark does
Teach First Danmark is a non-profit association (forening) founded in 2013 in Denmark, operating a two-year graduate program that places university graduates as full-time teachers in Danish public schools (folkeskoler) while they complete a parallel merit-based teacher education worth 150 ECTS. The organization, part of the global Teach for All network spanning 61 countries, recruits selectively (10-15% admission rate from 3,500+ applicants since 2015) and matches candidates with schools in disadvantaged areas, primarily in the Copenhagen area, Kalundborg, and Vestsjælland, with expansion to Sydvestjylland (Esbjerg/Varde) from 2026. The core mission is to address the social inheritance of educational disadvantage — 16% of Danish children leave primary school without sufficient reading, writing, and math skills for further education, and 41% of 25-year-olds without further education come from parents without it.
The core offering consists of the Graduate Program, supported by a Teacher Mentor Program (using the CLASS — Classroom Assessment Scoring System — observation framework from the University of Virginia, with annual mentor re-certification), and a pre-start Summer/Winter Academy (3-4 weeks or 4 days respectively) that culminates in teaching at Lær for Livet's learning camps for disadvantaged children. The merit teacher education is delivered through partnerships with Professionshøjskolen KP (Copenhagen area) and Professionshøjskolen Absalon (Kalundborg and Zealand). Participants also access integrated learning platforms (Meebook, Alinea, Gyldendal) and research-based teacher training from True North. Partner schools hire graduates through open job postings and gain access to a pre-vetted pipeline of highly credentialed candidates (72% master's degree holders, average graduate GPA of 9.4/10 in the 2018 cohort).
Teach First Danmark does not charge program participants; graduates receive a standard public school teacher salary (approximately 34,600 DKK/month plus 17.3% pension and 1.38% flexibility allowance) paid by their employing school under the collective agreement, with an early-termination repayment obligation of 12,000 DKK. The organization's own operations are financed primarily through charitable foundation grants, with major disclosed contributions including A.P. Møller Fonden (12 million DKK in 2018), Industriens Fond (6.7 million DKK in 2020 for STEM recruitment), Teknologipagten (250,000 DKK in 2020), and additional support from Thomas B. Thriges Fond, Honoré Fonden, William Demant, LEO Foundation, DHL Foundation, and Danielsens Fond. The organization operates a small core secretariat of approximately 7 staff plus 4-5 teacher mentors, and a 2021 collective agreement with Danmarks Lærerforening (DLF) institutionalizes the labor framework.
Teach First Danmark firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Teach First Danmark
- Legal name
- Teach First Danmark
- Website
- https://teachfirst.dk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Teach First Danmark is a non-profit association running a two-year program that places university graduates as full-time teachers in Danish public schools serving disadvantaged students, while completing a 150 ECTS merit teacher education. It is part of the global Teach for All network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Teach First Danmark industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Teacher Training & Education Services
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Early Childhood & Elementary Teacher Preparation Programs (EDAHAFAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Assessment, Observation & Documentation Training (Portfolios, DRDP/CLASS/ECERS) (EDACAIAK), Professional Development for Educators (Dyslexia/LD Training) (EDAKAJAK)
Keywords
Where Teach First Danmark is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Københoved
- HQ country
- Denmark
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Teach First Danmark business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Foundation and grant funding: Teach First Danmark is a non-profit organization primarily financed by foundation grants for charitable purposes. Major funders include: A.P. Møller Fonden (12 million DKK donation), Industriens Fond (6.7 million DKK for math and science teacher recruitment), Teknologipagten (250,000 DKK for math and science engagement), Thomas B. Thriges Fond, Honoré Fonden, William Demant, LEO Foundation, DHL Foundation, and Danielsens Fond. Schools and municipalities cover graduate salaries and merit teacher education costs directly.
- Membership fees: Annual membership in the association costs 50 DKK per year. Members have voting rights at the general assembly.
- School and municipal salary coverage: Partner schools pay graduates' salaries as public school teachers under the collective agreement. Schools also pay professionshøjskoler (KP and Absalon) directly for the merit teacher education component.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Program participation — free for graduates |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Teach First Danmark product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Teach First Danmark runs a two-year Graduate Program that recruits university graduates (bachelor's, master's, PhDs) from non-education fields and places them as full-time teachers in Danish public schools while they complete a 150 ECTS merit-based teacher education in parallel. Graduates receive a personal teacher mentor using the CLASS observation methodology, access to a national and international graduate network, and a Summer/Winter Academy onboarding. The Teacher Mentor Program is also offered separately to schools and municipalities for their own new teachers.
Product overview
Teach First Danmark is a non-profit organization operating a two-year graduate program that combines employment as a full-time public school teacher with parallel merit teacher education (150 ECTS). The core offering consists of the Graduate Program, supported by a Teacher Mentor Program providing systematic observation and feedback using the CLASS methodology, and a pre-start Summer/Winter Academy. Participants also access integrated learning platforms (Meebook, Alinea, Gyldendal) and research-based teacher training from True North. The organization is expanding regionally to Sydvestjylland (Esbjerg/Varde) from 2026.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Graduate Program (Two-Year Program) An intensive two-year on-the-job training program where participants are employed full-time as teachers at Danish public schools while simultaneously completing a 150 ECTS merit-based teacher education. Participants receive a personal teacher mentor, join the national and international Teach for All graduate network, and have access to a Summer/Winter Academy onboarding. Targets ambitious university graduates from any field who want to address social inequality in Danish education.
- Teacher Mentor Program
Quantifiable outcome
- 97% of school leaders report TF graduates strengthen student academic outcomes; 85% report improvement in student wellbeing
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Teach First Danmark
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Teach First Danmark technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature2 records
Teach First Danmark partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Teach for AllcoreTeach First Danmark is a member of the global Teach for All network, a non-profit network operating in 61 countries. The network enables sharing of experiences, research, and best practices for advancing educational equity. Alumni have opportunities to collaborate with peers across the network. Research on program effectiveness is shared at www.teachforall.org/research.
- Professionshøjskolen KP (Københavns Professionshøjskole)coreKP delivers the merit-based teacher education (150 ECTS) as part of the two-year Teach First program, primarily for graduates in the Copenhagen area. The partnership includes a joint development project supported by A.P. Møller Fonden since summer 2018.
- Professionshøjskolen AbsaloncoreAbsalon delivers the merit-based teacher education (150 ECTS) as part of the two-year Teach First program, primarily for graduates in Kalundborg and remaining Zealand areas. The partnership includes a joint development project supported by A.P. Møller Fonden since summer 2018.
- Lær for LivetcoreAs part of the summer/winter academy, all new graduates serve as teaching assistants at Lær for Livet's learning camps for placed children. Teach First graduates constitute approximately 2/3 of instructors at Lær for Livet's summer camp for disadvantaged children. This provides intensive practical teaching experience before the school year begins.
- True NorthminorTrue North co-delivers research-based teacher training with Teach First Danmark, providing graduates with concrete tools for teaching and classroom management before school start.
- Danish municipalities (Copenhagen, Kalundborg, Ishøj, Fredensborg, Tårnby, Rødovre, Hvidovre, Egedal, Solrød, Hillerød, Albertslund, Køge, Frederiksberg, Ballerup, Høje Taastrup and others)coreOver 50 schools from 15+ municipalities on Zealand have recruited new teachers through the Teach First program over the past three years. Municipalities cover graduate salaries and merit education costs. Support statements from multiple municipalities including København, Frederiksberg, Ishøj, Herlev, Fredensborg, and Tårnby recommend government funding for Teach First.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Teach First Danmark competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Teach for All: Global umbrella network coordinating 61 independent Teach for All member organizations including Teach First Danmark. Functions as a broader ecosystem incumbent providing shared research, advocacy, and cross-country alumni network rather than direct competition.
Direct peers
- Teach For America: The largest Teach for All network member, placing recent graduates in low-income US schools for a two-year commitment. Shares the same recruitment selectivity, mission of educational equity, and graduate-into-classroom model, with a similarly rigorous admissions process and structured teacher development.
- Teach First Deutschland: German Teach for All member implementing the same two-year graduate teacher program in disadvantaged German schools. Direct peer operating an adjacent Nordic/Germanic education system with comparable apprenticeship-style teacher training and municipal school governance.
- Teach First UK: The original Teach First program founded in the UK in 2002 that pioneered the two-year graduate-teacher placement model on which Teach First Danmark is directly built. Operates the same core structure: selective recruitment of high-caliber graduates, placement in disadvantaged schools, and parallel teacher training, making it the closest international peer.
- Lær for Livet: Danish non-profit running intensive learning camps for disadvantaged children; Teach First graduates serve as ~2/3 of camp instructors during summer academy. Direct peer addressing the same educational-equity mission in Denmark for the same target population, with a complementary service model (supplemental learning vs. school placement).
- Teach First France: French member of the Teach for All network running an analogous two-year graduate program placing teachers in priority education networks. Closely comparable model, mission, and stakeholder structure (foundations + government + schools).
Regional players
- Teach First Norge: Norwegian Teach for All member running a comparable two-year graduate teacher placement program in disadvantaged Norwegian schools. Operates a near-identical model in a closely related Nordic education system, serving as a useful regional benchmark for program design and expansion.
Others
- Professionshøjskolen KP: Copenhagen-based professional higher education institution that delivers Teach First Danmark's 150 ECTS merit teacher education in partnership. Adjacent rather than competitive — KP is the established teacher-training infrastructure on which the Teach First program depends for credentialing.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Teach First Danmark social profiles
Digital presenceTeach First Danmark financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Teach First Danmark leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Teach First Danmark funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Teach First Danmark M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Teach First Danmark
What does Teach First Danmark do?
Teach First Danmark runs a two-year Graduate Program that recruits university graduates (bachelor's, master's, PhDs) from non-education fields and places them as full-time teachers in Danish public schools while they complete a 150 ECTS merit-based teacher education in parallel. Graduates receive a personal teacher mentor using the CLASS observation methodology, access to a national and international graduate network, and a Summer/Winter Academy onboarding. The Teacher Mentor Program is also offered separately to schools and municipalities for their own new teachers.
Is Teach First Danmark a public or private company?
Teach First Danmark is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Teach First Danmark founded?
Teach First Danmark was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Teach First Danmark based?
Teach First Danmark is headquartered in Københoved, Denmark, in the Europe region.
How does Teach First Danmark make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Foundation and grant funding is the primary driver. The others are membership fees and school and municipal salary coverage.
Who are Teach First Danmark's main competitors?
Teach for All is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Teach For America, Teach First Deutschland, Teach First UK, Lær for Livet and Teach First France. Teach First Norge is listed as a regional player. Professionshøjskolen KP is listed as an others.
Does Teach First Danmark have an API?
No public API is recorded for Teach First Danmark.
What industry is Teach First Danmark in?
Teach First Danmark's product category is Teacher Training & Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAFAG, Early Childhood & Elementary Teacher Preparation Programs, with a secondary code of EDACAIAK, Assessment, Observation & Documentation Training (Portfolios, DRDP/CLASS/ECERS). Its NAICS code is 611310 and its SIC code is 8200.