#GoodNews December: Highlights from Social Entrepreneurs in 2019
As the end of 2019 approaches, we’ve gathered up the good news: the progress and accomplishments of Skoll social entrepreneurs, hard at work on the world’s thorniest problems. We are…
For nearly 25 years, Citizen Schools has been a pioneer in educational equity. Since opportunity, unlike talent, is not equally distributed, the organization has provided hands-on learning experiences that ignite curiosity, build confidence and expand horizons to over 50,000 underrepresented middle school students. Together with partners including 25,000 career mentors, Citizen Schools has exposed students to ideas and connections, helping them access even better opportunities than previous generations.
Today, Citizen Schools engage underserved students in hands-on learning, in school and after school. Students in Citizen Schools programs are treated as creators and problem-solvers, not just consumers. They become scientists, artists, mathematicians, engineers, writers, and programmers. The program also applies best practices from direct service work to systems-level advancement of STEM mentorship and learning by working with communities.
American students spend 80 percent of their waking hours out of school, but only a small percentage of public funding supports out-of-school programs.
Citizen Schools trains and supports volunteers to provide support and mentorship in middle schools in low-income communities.
CS promotes hands-on learning, discovery, teamwork, and fun – in school buildings, led by professional educators and volunteer Citizen Teachers.
CS serves 5,000 students each year in seven states.
Citizen Schools aspires to provide support and opportunities for underserved students to gain STEM content proficiency, develop an interest in STEM career pathways through modeling with diverse STEM mentors, and learn valuable social emotional skills, as well as collaborative problem solving. Citizen Schools delivers this through direct service and systems-level advancement.
By 2024, Citizen Schools will be serving 90 schools, 380 teachers and 65,000 students through its project-based learning program. Citizen Schools’ Makers + Mentors Network will partner with 21 Communities of Practice to reach more than 200,000 students.
CEO and Founder, College for Social Innovation
Eric Schwarz’s professional experience as a fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and a manager at City Year focused his attention on the crisis in public education in the US. He recognized that American students spend 80 percent of their waking hours outside of school and yet only 2 percent of public funding supports out-of-school programs. He founded Citizen Schools to transform after-school programs from an afterthought to a powerful element of authentic, large-scale education reform.
Eric stepped down as CEO of CS in December 2014 to launch the College for Social Innovation and now serves as a national board member at CS. In 2016, Emily McCann assumed the CEO role following a 13-year tenure at CS, most recently serving as president.
As the end of 2019 approaches, we’ve gathered up the good news: the progress and accomplishments of Skoll social entrepreneurs, hard at work on the world’s thorniest problems. We are…