October 2022

Dear John,

With students across the nation returning to school this fall, it’s clear that the pandemic has exacerbated the challenges facing young people. In the face of these challenges, it is inspiring to see how schools and communities have come together to help them heal and grow as part of their efforts to help students succeed academically and thrive. 

In their series, Building Classroom Connections, NBC shares stories of schools across the country that are leading this effort. Recently, the team at TODAY visited Valor Collegiate Academies, a network of schools in Nashville that is centering student and teacher well-being through community circles and mentoring.

I’m in awe of the commitment these educators demonstrate by putting relationships at the center of their work – and with the compassion shown by students for their peers. I hope you’ll check out the segment on our website and tune into the podcast, Building Classroom Connections, which features an interview with our co-founder and co-CEO, Priscilla Chan, about our work to support strong, positive teacher-student relationships.

Sincerely,

Sandra Liu Huang

Head of Education

Common Sense Education named Along one of the best tools for Back-to-School 2022. Educators trust Along to help them build strong, positive relationships with students, and Along is committed to keeping student information safe, secure, and private. That’s why iKeepSafe awarded Along the FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) and COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) Privacy badges. These certifications demonstrate that Along is aligned with iKeepSafe’s best practice guidelines for implementing privacy laws governing student data.

To kick off the new school year, Sandra and author Michael Horn discussed the challenges facing students and what supports children need to thrive. Watch a recording of their conversation to learn more about our efforts to reimagine education and center students’ well-being in support of academic achievement and success.

TODAY Co-Host Sheinelle Jones moderated a panel discussion about the impact of the pandemic on Black and Brown students at the NABJ and NAHJ annual convention.  Experts including Dr. John B. King, Jr., president of The Education Trust and former U.S. Secretary of Education, spoke about what it takes to make sure all students feel seen, heard and valued.

EdSurge: My Students Were Grieving. This Assignment Helped Me Understand Their Experiences. 

High school teacher, Veronica Wylie, shares how taking the time to develop relationships with her students has made a significant impact on her own experience and in how she considers changes to support her students so they find success both in and out of the classroom. 

Education Week: They Recruited 100,000 STEM Teachers. Now They’re Setting Their Sights Even Higher

Over the past decade, 100Kin10 exceeded its goal of recruiting and training 100,000 STEM teachers to America’s schools. With support from CZI and other funders, the organization, now known as Beyond100K, has a new goal to prepare and retain 150,000 STEM teachers — focusing on Black, Latinx, and Native American teachers who are underrepresented in the profession.

Brazil at Silicon Valley: Vivian Wu, Managing Partner of Ventures, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

In an interview with the Brazil at Silicon Valley podcast, Vivian Wu discussed how our impact investments serve as a tip of the spear in supporting innovation at scale globally. Vivian highlighted how our impact investing strategy has evolved alongside CZI’s focus in education,  with a particular focus on impact opportunities in Brazil.