15th Summer of Education Pioneers Fellowship Cohorts Announced

USA - English

• USA - English

BOSTON, July 02, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- As the education sector faces a growing challenge in recruiting and retaining passionate professionals, Education Pioneers (EP) announced today their 15th summer of cohorts for the Fellowship which offers future education leaders a 10-week experience to apply their skills to a mission critical project at an education organization along with K-12 professional development among a cohort of peers and EP's national network of more than 4,000 Alumni.

The talented professionals chosen to participate in the selective program are rising leaders who are eager to put their skills to work for school districts, charter management organizations, state education agencies, and other organizations working in public education on behalf of our nation's highest-need students. EP provides participants with the knowledge, resources, and network to inspire careers in education.

"We need leaders at all levels to work in complex, high-impact roles in the education sector," said Melissa Wu, CEO of Education Pioneers. "By connecting our national network of diverse leaders with local education organizations, Education Pioneers is ensuring the education sector has access to the top talent coming through graduate school programs while advancing important initiatives to eliminate the opportunity gap."

"I believe our movement's success depends largely on our leaders' capacity to deliver on the promises made to our families and communities," Tracy Session, Vice President of Program at Education Pioneers said. "Providing EP Fellows with the community and context they need to understand the complexity of local and national education issues puts them on a path towards inclusive, transformational leadership."

The EP Summer Fellowship is a 10-week summer experience that previews the impact a future leader can make in the education sector and lays the foundation they need to become a lifelong leader. Of the 2019 EP Fellows, over 60 percent self-identify as people of color, 45% are new to the education sector, and 80% are recent graduates or currently in graduate school.

Fellows learn from experts and from one another to collectively enhance their impact in the projects they're currently working on with EP's network of partner organizations, and to strengthen the pipeline of talented leaders ready and interested in taking on roles in data analytics, strategy, finance, project management, and more across the education sector. The first 15 years of cohorts total more than 4,000 EP Alumni, 70% of whom continue to work in education today.

"I hope to gain a more clear understanding for how I can translate my business management skills into the education sector while promoting and supporting equity and opportunity," said Natosha Safo, a 2018 CORO Fellow, former Business Development Manager in the San Francisco Mayor's Office of Economic & Workforce Development, and current EP Fellow at Great Oaks Charter.

I'm looking forward to an opportunity to immerse myself in a role that will allow me to directly combat the education gap. I want to better utilize my skillset to be a catalyst for a more equitable public education for all students," said Daniel Flores, a graduate of Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, former management consultant, and current EP Fellow at Chicago Public Schools.

For the full list of 2019 Summer Fellows and the Partners for whom they're working, click here.

Additionally, more than 20 professionals already working in the education sector will join cohorts as Visiting Fellows. The Visiting Fellowship focuses on developing emerging leaders who are well-positioned and eager to deepen their impact at their existing organization. Participating in EP's signature leadership development and cohort experiences help these leaders re-energize their commitment to education by deepening their hard and soft skills, engaging in peer consulting, and expanding their professional network. For the full list of the 2019 Visiting Fellows who were nominated by the supervisors to participate in the program, click here.

About Education Pioneers

Education Pioneers builds the pipeline of leaders outside the classroom who enable teachers and students to be successful inside the classroom. Since 2003, Education Pioneers has recruited and trained over 4,000 leaders in partnership with more than 750 education organizations nationwide.

Of the organization's Alumni in the workforce, more than 70 percent serve in education and lead or contribute to work that impacts public school students in major cities across the nation, most of whom are students of color and growing up in underserved areas. Learn more: educationpioneers.org/our-impact.

SOURCE Education Pioneers