A Peek into Silicon Valley's Newest Bet: AltSchool

https://medium.com/bright/a-peek-into-silicon-valley-s-latest-bet-altschool-abf6c6973ecd

Mary Jo Madda

Bright Magazine

1 July 2015

Multi-Media / Under 800 Words

AltSchools use a completely different education system - interconnecting technology and hands on experiments - to help students achieve a higher degree of learning. Students are grouped into small, personalized cohorts so they can be both mentors and mentees for their fellow peers, creating a collaborative learning space for all.

Dropouts flooding Kent's second-change iGrad school

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/education/dropouts-flooding-kentrsquos-second-chance-igrad-school

Claudia Rowe

The Seattle Times

12 January 2014

Text / 1500-3000 Words

Cities save money and help kids by connecting them with diploma programs. In Washington, iGrad is helping students do just this – and seeing results.

'From stilettos to steel toes:' Can job training fix prison overcrowding and save Alabama money?

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2014/06/life_skills_classes_vocational.html#incart_river

Kelsey Stein

AL.com (Alabama Media Group)

24 June 2014

Text / 800-1500 Words

To decrease the chance of formerly incarcerated individuals relapsing and ending up back in the prison system, the J.F. Ingram State Technical College in Alabama offers correctional education and vocational programs. This training has aided those incarcerated with life skills for after their release, decreasing the likelihood that they will relapse and increasing the likelihood that they will better adjust to their community.

In India, Revealing the Children Left Behind

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/23/in-india-revealing-the-children-left-behind

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

23 October 2014

Text / 1500-3000 Words

Volunteers with the Annual Status of Education Report test children's math and reading skills in villages across India. While 96 percent of Indian children are in school, ASER reveals that many of them are not receiving a real education. "Learning camps", an initiative called Read India, and grouping children by ability, not age, are helping bridge the gap.

Kindergartens Ringing the Bell for Play Inside the Classroom

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/10/education/out-of-the-books-in-kindergarten-and-into-the-sandbox.html?_r=0

Motoko Rich

The New York Times

9 June 2015

Text / 800-1500 Words

As American classrooms have focused on raising test scores in math and reading, an outgrowth of the federal No Child Left Behind law and interpretations of the new Common Core standards, even the youngest students have been affected, with more formal lessons and less time in sandboxes. Washington and Minnesota are beginning to train teachers around the state on the importance of so-called purposeful play — when teachers subtly guide children to learning goals through games, art and general fun.

How To Turn Adult Education Into Careers, Quickly

http://www.npr.org/2013/11/02/241897572/how-to-turn-adult-education-into-careers-quickly?sc=tw&cc=share

Kavitha Cardoza

NPR

2 November 2013

Radio / 5-15 Minutes

When adults want to return to school, they face many challenges including the experience of long waitlists for classes, and poor relevance to the job skills they need for future employment. The Washington state community college system has started a program known as Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) that instead teaches in two parts: academic content and basic soft skills.

In Colorado, Teaching to a Changing Climate

https://medium.com/bright/in-colorado-teaching-to-a-changing-climate-831b81a32358

Mary Slosson

Bright Magazine

2 June 2015

Text / 800-1500 Words

Colorado has had challenges teaching climate change to elementary and secondary school students because of political divisiveness. Regional advocacy groups and professionals manage to teach climate change through engaging field trips, filmmaking, and outdoor learning.

Seeding Dreams with Self-Esteem: Building New Opportunities for Women in Rural Appalachia

http://appvoices.org/2014/08/10/seeding-dreams-with-self-esteem

Kimber Ray

Appalachian Voices

10 August 2014

Text / Over 3000 Words

A girls camp in West Virginia and a residential program in Kentucky help Appalachian women build self esteem and enable them to turn their life around through mentoring, stem classes, and job counseling.

Open Access: How a Nonprofit is Giving Techies Without Tuition Their Shot

http://www.fastcompany.com/3048166/tech-forecast/open-access-how-a-non-profit-is-giving-techies-without-tuition-their-shot

Neal Ungerleider

FastCompany

23 July 2015

Text / 800-1500 Words

Access Code is a nonprofit in New York that gives young adults, particularly those from minority groups, instruction and resources to learn coding. This education promotes greater access to lucrative careers in the world of technology.

Jail program, a first in NC, includes classes behind bars

http://www.fayobserver.com/article/20140831/News/308319872

Greg Barnes

Fayetteville Observer

31 August 2014

Text / Under 800 Words

Cabarrus County’s Project Re-entry gives those experiencing incarceration a chance at an education and self-reflection. The program has shown such success that it is being expanded to other detention centers in the county. Those who take part are able to take classes – all taught by volunteers – like literacy and religious studies, or choose to enroll in programs like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous.