Washington Alliance for Better Schools’ Post

The question I get more than any other is, "How can I support public education?" My response is always, "Anything, everything, the smallest thing"  For those of us that have chosen to dedicate ourselves to the work of public education we know there's never enough; enough funding, enough teachers, or enough volunteers. When I moved on to the Austin Independent School District School Board, I was asked to be the board representative on the Austin Partners In Education (APIE) board. As a teacher in AISD, I knew they had volunteers from the community and industry working with kids in math, but not much more. There are outcome disparities between historically marginalized students and their peers and as a non-profit organization, APIE is dedicated to improving academic achievement and educational outcomes for Austin Independent School District (AISD) students. The organization works to bridge the gap between the community and schools by engaging volunteers and resources to support students and educators. There's a great need for volunteers, you don't need anything other than a willingness to support kids. You can volunteer in a Math class, you can mentor a student who needs an adult to encourage them to reach their maximum potential, or you can invite APIE to your next corporate event and give them 15 mins to speak to the staff, especially in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. Head over to APIE's website (https://lnkd.in/gAxiXD9s) and sign up. If you don't find something that fits the rhythm of your life, give them a call and let them know you're still willing to help. My email message has two quotes that sum up the work before us: "Education can't save us, we have to save education" ~Dr. Betina Love and  "You can make a wish, but then you have to do the wish. It doesn't just happen"~Anonymous 9 year old

Applications are now open for Blueprint's 2024-2025 School Access and Quality Fellowship, a one-year program for education leaders focused on implementing more equitable, fair, and efficient enrollment policies. Throughout the year, Fellows will learn best practices, leverage each other's knowledge, and solve enrollment challenges. We encourage anyone who is currently leading or implementing equitable enrollment policies to apply. We'll discuss ways to address declining enrollment, effectively engage families and other stakeholders, and leverage enrollment data to better serve students, families, and schools. Fellows join from school districts, state education agencies, charter management organizations, and nonprofit organizations. Their diverse backgrounds and expertise enrich each cohort. Throughout the year, fellows are empowered to enact changes in their respective regions. Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/egYE6Meq

Low-income students are often underrepresented in STEM fields, the very same degrees that often lead to high-paying careers. What is being done to close that gap and provide more opportunities for economic mobility? University of Colorado Boulder‘s answer is to expand their CU Promise program to offer a new initiative for low-income engineering students to earn their degrees for free, the first field-specific program at the school. The Lattice Scholars program is funded by a donation from local engineering firm Campos EPC and identifies qualifying students with an annual family income under $65k based on their FAFSA score, rather than requiring a separate application. Currently, 65 students participate in the program, which also includes academic support and advising to remove not only financial barriers but also help students navigate college.  This year, the school has doubled the number of students who qualify for the CU Program, which now totals nearly 3,500 students. Full article here from Chalkbeat (Chalkbeat Colorado): https://lnkd.in/efsvfqSq DSST Public Schools, Rocky Mountain Prep, STEM School Highlands Ranch, New America School, Kipp Denver Collegiate High School

Something worth sharing! STEM industries will especially have to deal with a limited amount of resources as our infrastructure continues to age and requires maintainence, replacement, or adding to what we already have. That doesn’t just require a monetary investment, but an investment into the people of who can actually get the required work done. That’s why it’s so important to invest into STEM programs and get a the future talent pool passionate about learning and knock down the barriers to a quality education. I think it’s great that our interns across the Garver footprint rallied together and made STEM education more accessible for a school right here in our great state of Oklahoma! A drone kit sounds like it’ll be a huge amount of fun, and who knows, maybe there’s a future drone operator in the making. That’s a skillset that will be invaluable as technology progresses and we find even more uses for drones. There’ll always a need for drone operators in bridge inspection and evaluation!

I’m often asked what kind of high school Mt. Scott Learning Center is. Is it a public school? A private school? An alternative school? A charter school? The answer is a combination of all of these. Now in its 28th year of operation, Mt. Scott is a fully accredited, nonprofit organization registered with the Oregon Department of Education as a private alternative school. Yes, we are officially recognized as a private (non-public) alternative school – and the Portland Business Journal recently named Mt. Scott one of the top private schools in the Portland area. However, we do NOT charge tuition and we only serve public school students from Portland Public Schools and other school districts that choose to partner with us. Mt. Scott Learning Center provides an educational setting tailored to the needs of high school students who struggle to fulfill their potential in the traditional school environment. Our goal is to reengage students with their education and support each of them along their unique path to a diploma. We accomplish this through a high-touch culture of trust and transparency, small class sizes, differentiated instruction, 1:1 case management for every student with a support team of multiple adults, and postsecondary preparedness training in our specialized Transitions Program.   What impact is Mt. Scott making? This 3-minute compilation video of student interviews helps answer that question and explains why Mt. Scott exists. If you’re interested in visiting our school and learning more about our story, send me a message or email.

School has kicked off again! Here are just a few ways how we can support your student this year: * Academic Enrichment – Funds for students to enter competitions and camps, attend special performances, or enhance learning happening in the classroom * Advanced Placement (AP) Testing Funding – AP testing cost coverage to high school students seeking college credit * Athletic and Activity Uniforms and Fees – Assistance with equipment, uniforms, and other fees associated with extracurricular activities * Driver’s Education – Driver’s education class coverage for students who want to learn how to drive * Fund a Need – Our online platform, Fund a Need, allows educators to create campaigns to crowdsource funds for special classroom projects. * Scholarships – We offer 100+ scholarships for graduating LPS seniors annually * Spark Summer Learning – Access to a STEAM-focused (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) summer learning experience for kindergarteners through grade 5 * The Career Academy – The Foundation funds this unique experience to help hone high school students’ technical skills, focused on their interests. If you have financial constraints and are in need of any of the assistance above, please start by contacting your school’s social worker.

Although it is no longer 'Giving Tuesday' I wanted to post this appeal for support for Minds Matter Boston ("MMB") when your timeline has hopefully eased up a bit on appeals for donations! Please help me reach my $5,000 goal before year-end as part of our "Ignite the Possibility" fundraising campaign. MMB has traditionally served low-income, first generation students (98% of which are students of color) in the Greater Boston Area, and has helped our students gain admission into competitive colleges across the country (with 100% of our Class of 2023 accepted to a 4-year college and 97% of our 577 alumni having successfully graduated or currently enrolled in college as compared to 41% of high-achieving, low-income students nationwide), apply and receive scholarships and fellowships, and prepare and be placed in professional summer internship opportunities across industries, from STEM to law to M&A (including at my employer, Atlantic Global Risk, as well as at Alkermes, Kirkland & Ellis, Spectrum Equity, and Takeda, just to name a few). As a first generation college graduate and the chair of the MMB Board, I know, both personally and as a volunteer leader at MMB, the impact of college preparation and access, mentorship, and college and career success. I can attest to the struggle of trying to navigate college and professional networks, norms and environments as someone who was not familiar with these settings and had no one in my own personal network who could help me navigate and thrive in these spaces. This is why service to MMB has been so important to me. Relatedly, and what's really special about MMB, is the dedicated team of 400 volunteer mentors across industries and the City of Boston who give our students at least 20 Saturdays a year to support, guide and assist them as they navigate their academic journey and create pathways to a successful and fulsome college and career exploration experience. MMB mentor relationships often remain long after the students graduate high school and college, and provide our students with access to networks, communities and opportunities that most first generation college graduates seldom have access to. Simply said, MMB changes lives, not just of our students, but of our mentor community, volunteers and team. Please consider giving to help us service more students, more deeply. Let me know if you would like to discuss how to get more involved with MMB--always happy to have that conversation. Sidenote: If you click the donation link you will be treated to a photo of my 3 babies! (Just in case you need that extra push to click!) https://lnkd.in/edCcGR4B

HBCU Prep School Book Series Book description: Get ready for the ride of your life, as The ABCs of HBCUs takes readers on a front-row, all-inclusive tour of Historically Black Colleges & Universities. The first ABC board book dedicated to HBCUs, children quickly recognize that "A" isn't always for "apple." From FAMU to Howard, the Divine Nine to Battle of the Bands, children learn about the love, lifestyles, and legacies that built these incredible institutions. Coloring Book description: A celebration of all things HBCU, future grads will unleash their inner creativity and have hours of fun in this coloring book. Activity Book description: The ABCs of HBCUs: From Homecoming to the Halftime Show Activity Book takes 8 to 10 year olds on a front-row, all-inclusive tour of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Filled with 50 pages of colorful illustrations, fun facts, and exciting activities, this book is the perfect resource for parents and educators looking to broaden childrens’ knowledge of Black history and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Although your elementary scholar might be too young to declare an undergraduate major, in this book, they will learn about STEM, entrepreneurship, logic puzzles, art, medicine, law, world languages, sports, geography, coding, health and so much more! Get your copies now with the link below or at Amazon.com https://lnkd.in/gRj4FsRP * * * * * * * * * #hbcu #hbcuprepschool #theabcsofhbcus #coloringbook

Today Lance Rulers introduces STEM purchasing programs for accredited public, nonprofit, or private college, university, vocational school, or other postsecondary institutions - this includes bulk discounts, net terms and account management. Listen Folks: Rulers are awesome. Measuring things in the physical world is awesome, and learning science, math, engineering, art, etc. requires tools. Computers and AI can't do what rulers in the physical world can... and for those doing the math, they are a lot LESS expensive than $$$ phones/apps/chatgpt subscriptions. https://lnkd.in/eb5z__qx Share with your local schools, non-profits and universities. Lance Rulers is proud to partner with hundreds of elementary, secondary, and universities across 15 countries, underscoring our commitment to STEM education and the advocacy for equal access to quality education. Central to our corporate values is the belief that every student, regardless of geographic location, deserves the tools necessary for a comprehensive education. Our mission extends to ensuring that analog measuring tools are available in every classroom throughout North, Central, and South America. 

📣 This Friday: Join us for our webinar "Strategies to Support Smooth Transitions to Higher Education" as we highlight Georgia’s EMBARK program with presenters from Kennesaw State University and the University of Georgia. ✍️ Sign up ➡️ https://bit.ly/452EO1f We'll dive into strategies for K12 and higher education partners to support active recruitment of #homeless and #foster youth, and how K12 systems can support college transition with ARP #ESSER and ARP-HCY funds, as well as how to build partnerships, summer bridge programs, and campus support programs. #homelessness