Akhil Kishore’s Post

MUST-READ BLOG –  "How to Secure Grants for After-School Programs" Grants aren't just about funds; they're investments in the future of education and our students' development. Our recent blog shows how securing grants can be game changers for after-school programs. Here's a quick peek into what you'll find: 🔍 Finding Opportunities – Discover where to look for grants that align with your program's goals, from online databases to reputable organizations like Youth.gov and Afterschool Alliance. 📝 Understanding Grant Requirements – Learn how to tailor your applications to meet specific grant objectives, ensuring alignment and maximizing your chances of success. 📊 Data Tracking for Success – Explore the importance of effective data tracking in securing larger grants, with insights into how tools like AfterSchool HQ can streamline the process. 🛠️ Essential Tools – From custom surveys to automated waiting lists, discover the tools that can enhance your grant applications and program management. 💼 Grant Writing Service – Explore how AfterSchool HQ can support you not only with software solutions but also with professional grant writing services, helping you articulate your needs and impact more compellingly. Read the full blog at https://lnkd.in/gsknC6P6. #AfterSchoolPrograms #YouthPrograms #GrantOpportunities #GrantWriting #EducationInvestment

If you're serving students after school and looking for resourcing opportunities, I encourage you to follow AfterSchool HQ and read this blog!

Privatization Degrades US Education Education follows society. As business control of the US government increased in the 1980s, the education reform and accountability movement was launched. This largely shifted the purpose of education from benefiting young people and society to benefiting business and investment returns. Public schools often were privatized and taken over by charter and for-profit, publicly-traded companies. There are many excellent non-profit universities and K-12 schools. But the profit motive is incompatible with educating young people well. Finland and other world education leaders use strong, well-funded public education systems. Under US education reform, business processes (e.g. standardized testing and curriculums) are used in an effort to transform children into proficient test-takers. This does not work. Children are not products and schools are not factories. The primary focus of education must be on maximizing the well-being of young people, not investment returns. Privatized education puts children in conflict with schools. When there are trade-offs between children and profits, education companies often are compelled to put profits first. Our children should not be seen as little cash dispensers for for-profit companies. We must restore US education leadership by doing what current leaders do (and what the US did when we were a world K-12 education leader in the 1950s and 60s) – re-establish strong public education. A new book Transforming Education – A Whole System Approach to Empowering Young People and Achieving Sustainable Society provides a detailed plan for improving education in the US and other countries, in large part by implementing sustainable, public education systems. Read the Introduction: https://lnkd.in/eh6aqDe8 Transforming Education is available on: Amazon: https://lnkd.in/eM2npVmk Barnes & Noble: https://lnkd.in/eEK4ETzW #education #educationreform #highereducation #systemchange

Quality coverage and journalism from Paul Fain (as usual): The fund has an unusual investor: the American Council on Education, which is higher education’s umbrella organization. The move is a logical extension for the group’s mission and strategic priorities, says Ted Mitchell, ACE’s president. Mitchell says it also taps into his previous experience as the CEO of a venture philanthropy that invests in K-12 innovation. “We are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to form partnerships across and outside the higher education sector to help our institutions spur student success and economic and social mobility—and serve as a gateway to in-demand jobs and careers,” Mitchell says. ACE has its fingers on the pulse of connections between education and the workforce, he says, in part through its work with military and workplace college credit recommendations. And Mitchell says all roads that lead to student success and the “confirmation to individuals of the value of postsecondary education” are rooted in the combinations of ways colleges work with other actors, including some of the startups JFFVentures backs. “We want to link degrees to jobs and noncompleters back to institutions and then on to jobs,” he says. “That is a powerful way to validate the value of a higher education.” via https://lnkd.in/eQ4_YD-J

In the ever-evolving world of education, balancing financial viability with genuine educational impact has become a pressing challenge. The rising costs of quality facilities, technology, and talented educators necessitate funding sources that go beyond traditional donations or subsidies. Yet, reliance on unsustainable profit models can lead to prioritizing revenue over the core educational mission, ultimately compromising access and quality. A Sustainable Profit model in education offers a middle ground—one that acknowledges the need for financial stability without sacrificing ethical and educational commitments. This article defines sustainable profit in the context of education, outlining actionable strategies to create a framework that supports institutional growth while embedding clear, enforceable controls to curb excess and prevent the pitfalls of profit-driven motives. https://lnkd.in/g_Vdvr2P

We have big news to share -- the Alliance for Learning Innovation (ALI) is starting a new chapter as an independent organization! I'm thrilled to serve as its first Executive Director, alongside the incredible Melissa Moritz, Timothy Michalak, and Megan Zabik -- the best team in the education R&D business. And we're grateful to Chike Aguh, Brienne Bellavita, Karen Cator, and Daniel Correa for serving as ALI's inaugural Advisory Committee! The progress we've made and this next step would not be possible without the support of our extraordinary Alliance for Learning Innovation (ALI) Coalition members; partners at the Walton Family Foundation, the Federation of American Scientists, The Learning Agency, Lewis-Burke Associates LLC; and many individuals like Romy Drucker, Brienne Bellavita, Claire Voorhees, Alix Liss, Michele Leardo, Joanna Cannon, Michael Ledford, William Otto Katt, Lindsay Fryer, Ulrich Boser, Tasha Hensley, Meg Benner, Erin Mote, Bethany Little, Dan Gordon, Julia Wolf, M.Ed., Karinna Gerhardt, Faith Savaiano, Miriam Quintal, Amanda Bruno, Oscar Carballo Jr., Kari McCarron, William Porter, Ila Deshmukh Towery, PhD, Aryana Bolourian, M.Ed, Kristin Herrmann, to name just a few. Stay tuned for a lot more from this amazing team! In the meantime, read the press release: https://lnkd.in/eG_EQcif and follow our page to stay updated on all things ALI. #educationresearch #innovation

#Budget #2024: A New Dawn for Education 🌟 The 2024 budget has set a transformative path for the education sector, emphasizing the importance of nurturing young minds and equipping them with the skills needed for the future. 📚✨ Key Highlights: Increased Funding for Schools: Significant investments to enhance infrastructure and resources in under-resourced schools, ensure every child has access to quality education. Focus on hashtag #EdTech: Embracing technology in education to create a more interactive and engaging learning environment. This includes funding for digital classrooms and hashtag #onlinelearningplatforms. YHills Teacher Training Programs: New initiatives to support and train educators, helping them adapt to modern teaching methods and technologies. Higher Education Support: Expanded scholarships and financial aid to make higher education more accessible and affordable for all students. Skill Development: Programs aimed at bridging the gap between education and employment, ensuring students are job-ready with the necessary skills and knowledge. This budget reflects a commitment to building a brighter future through education, addressing the needs and aspirations of our youth. Let’s work together to make these goals a reality! 🌍🎓 #Budget2024 #Education #EdTech #FutureOfEducation #SkillDevelopment

🎯 The Shifting Impact of Regulatory Activities Targeting Online Education 👉 Where online learning is provided 👉 Change in fully online students over time 👉 Impact of enrollment growth and declines 👉 https://bit.ly/49HB1bW #onlinelearning #highereducation #regulation

Reimagining Education for the 100-Year Life: A Call to Action As we embrace the idea of living to 100, how do we prepare for a life that extends well beyond traditional expectations? The Longevity Project invites us to think not only about living longer but about how we live meaningfully in those extended years. I recently had the pleasure of participating in the Community Big Breakfast Networking Event, where this question was explored, sparking fresh ideas about the role of education in the long game of life. Joe Dickinson, whom I worked with during our 2014 TEDx conference, spoke passionately about this challenge, and it reminded me of an idea we discussed back then: rethinking education as a lifelong endeavor. Could Jersey be a sandbox for innovation in education, where we not only extend learning beyond school and university but create a system for continuous learning that aligns with our longevity? After all, as people live longer, they will likely be working longer, reinventing themselves several times over their lives. Shouldn't our education system reflect that? In my earlier piece, Planning for the 100-Year Life, I touched on this very topic. Today’s conversation reiterated how vital it is to think about education not as something that ends in youth but as a lifelong journey. It’s time we ask ourselves: Is there an appetite to host a TED event dedicated to this theme? One that pulls in global thought leaders and explores how our policies, communities, and institutions need to evolve to support a life lived in full, for 100 years? We need to rethink everything—from university to "learning in the third age"—so that people can thrive at every stage of their life. I invite you to join me in exploring these possibilities, whether by contributing to the Longevity Project or through a local TED event on education. Together, we can shape a future where longevity isn’t just about years added to life, but life added to those years. Key Takeaways: Education must evolve to support lifelong learning for a population living and working longer. Jersey could be a sandbox for educational innovation. A TED event focused on education and longevity would foster dialogue and solutions.

If you judged by recent headlines, you might conclude that for-profit education providers have had a rough ride lately. And some have –- especially a few of the education companies that are public. But as is always true, the stumbles are in bold headline font while the successes and milestones earn a footnote, at best. As an example, Stride Learning Solutions (NYSE: LRN), the publicly traded education provider with products and services from K-12 through career certification and training and sporting a healthy market cap of $3.5 billion, recently marked 25 years in business. https://lnkd.in/gfzkDd7D