This blog was also posted on Medium.
This year marks 20 years of investing in new, innovative schools here at NewSchools, and each new crop of investments brings its own excitement and inspiration. Today, my team is thrilled to announce investments in 23 teams of educators who are planning to launch new schools that will create seats for as many as 11,000 students – 78 percent of which are projected to be Black or Latino, and 82 percent are expected to come from low-income communities.
Why are these schools special? They are planning to use new approaches to ensure students’ learning experiences are more personalized – tailored to their individual needs, skill levels and interests. And, they are designed to provide the combination of a foundation and the important habits, skills and mindsets today’s students need to be successful.
Our investments in this group of educators total $5 million and we’re particularly excited about them for three reasons:
- They are bringing innovative schools to more places. These investments span 13 states, 16 cities and the District of Columbia. It broadens our reach by six new states (AZ, AR, GA, KY, MO, and MS) and seven new cities. More innovative schools in more communities means better outcomes for students.
- They represent the students they aim to serve. Sixty-one percent of the potential school founders in this group are Black and Latino, helping to close the demographic gap between the students in our nation’s schools and the education leaders serving them.
- They are engaging the families they plan to serve. They are designing their schools in partnership with students, parents and their communities.
Please join us in congratulating our 2018 NewSchools Invent planning cohort and supporting them on their journeys to reimagine school in their communities! We could not be more excited about their promise.
- AECI II: NYC Charter High School of Computer Engineering and Innovation, New York, NY
- Academy of Media Arts, Los Angeles, CA
- American Indian Academy of Denver, Denver, CO
- Ashe’ Preparatory Academy, Skyway, WA
- BOLT Academy, Washington, DC
- Capital Village Schools, Washington, DC
- Elementary School for Education Innovation, Lubbock, TX
- Envision Preparatory Charter School, New York, NY
- Garvey/Allen Visual and Performing Arts Academy for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, Moreno Valley, CA
- Homies Empowerment Community High School, Oakland, CA
- iLEAD Academy, Louisville, KY
- Kansas City Girls Preparatory Academy, Kansas City, MO
- Leflore Legacy Academy, Greenwood, MS
- Living School, New Orleans, LA
- Mary L. Booker Leadership Academy, San Francisco, CA
- Meadowcreek Cluster Health Science High School, Duluth, GA
- Phoenix International Academy, Phoenix, AZ
- Polyphonic Schools, New York, NY
- Purdue Polytechnic High School – Indianapolis North, Indianapolis, IN
- ScholarMade Achievement Place: Nichols Intermediate Academy of Leadership, Little Rock, AR
- The HadaNõu Collective, Aurora, CO
- The High School for Recording Arts – Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- The Social Justice School, Washington, DC
Are you an educator or entrepreneur looking to launch a new, innovative school?
If you’re interested in receiving support to plan the opening of a school launching in 2020 or beyond, submit your idea here. Our next funding opportunity will open in late summer 2018. If you’re selected for a planning investment, you can later apply for support to launch your school. Our grants range from $50,000 to $600,000 across both categories.
