Blog

Every month, America Forward highlights examples of the vital work our Coalition members do to support students, families, educators, workers, elected leaders, advocates, and communities across the country. If your organization has resources, an announcement, or a story you would like to see included, please send it to america_forward@newprofit.org.

Aurora Institute

The Aurora Institute identifies best practices, facilitates knowledge sharing, and advocates for national policies encouraging student-centered, competency-based K-12 education. For the past 12 years, this work has included CompetencyWorks, an online hub that features important research and reports, information on emerging issues, updates on key policies, and other helpful resources. Recently, they’ve shared materials highlighting the importance of the science of learning, and examples of how schools can support teachers learning about competency-based education. You can learn more about competency-based education and view their resource and report library on education innovation today.

College Possible

College Possible supports students from under-invested, under-resourced communities in their efforts to gain admission to college and complete their degree. Now, AmeriCorps is giving young Americans the opportunity to serve as a College Possible coach to help make equitable college access a reality across the country. Open positions include summer bridge coaching, college access and success coaching, post-college catalyst coaching, peer mentorship, and more. As a coach through College Possible, the next generation will gain critical hands-on skill development in leadership, equity, and intercultural communication, which are valuable to a variety of future career opportunities. Learn more about the available roles today!

Education Leaders of Color

Education Leaders of Color leads a membership network that supports young people of color as they build generational wealth and work toward success in their lives and careers. EdLoC leverages a sustained network of strong solidarity, mobilizing action, and collective power to influence important policy, fund innovative leaders, host gatherings of changemakers, and other strategies that improve academic and economic outcomes for young people of color. Recently, they released their 2023 Impact Report: Catalyzing Action, which highlights their successes from the past year – from hosting their first sold-out national convening to announcing the seventh Boulder Fund cohort of innovative changemakers. Read the report today!

The Learning Accelerator 

The Learning Accelerator helps educators, schools, and policymakers build a better, more impactful education system for learners nationwide. In the face of widespread learning gaps in K-12 education, they launched a new grant opportunity, the Exponential Learning Initiative, to fund and support 10 networks looking to scale evidence-based, virtually-supported learning acceleration strategies in the 2024-25 school year. These networks will have access to $150,000 in flexible grant funding and research support to help demonstrate their strategies’ effectiveness and impact. To learn more, you can read about the grant here, and submit your intent to apply!

Zearn

With Summer right around the corner, Zearn is ensuring educators have the tools to support their students’ learning over the break. Zearn, a proven math learning platform that helps students develop essential math skills, concepts, and confidence, is sharing their Summer Intensive Series with programming for rising first- through ninth-graders that is free to educators. The series will help prepare students for learning in the fall, with data-based, digital lessons for students to complete independently during in-school summer programming, through tutoring, or at home. Zearn also offers an instructional guide for families to help parents and caregivers support their students’ learning.