Education - Articles

Innovations in educational policies, programs, and practices (more)

Books to Grow On - Thumbnail

Books to Grow On

By Aaron Dalton

How did Room to Read create more than 5,000 libraries in less than eight years? The media have largely focused on founder John Wood as the catalytic figure in the organization's success story. Of equal importance, however, is Room to Read's solid and replicable operational choices.

Podcast

Beulah Thumbadoo - Making Reading Sexier

Beulah Thumbadoo talks about her experiences promoting adult literacy, first from within the South African government and university system, and then through her own organization. Talking with Design for Change host Sheela Sethuraman in this audio interview, she also shares advice from her experience on social entrepreneurship.

Podcast

Rafael Alvarez - Preparing Students to Succeed

While volunteering at a charter school, Rafael Alvarez was confronted with some shocking information—hardly any students in the senior class had plans to attend college. So, in true social entrepreneurial fashion, he decided to match up this under-served market with another under-served market, entry level IT. Talking with Design for Change host Sheela Sethuraman in this audio interview, he explains how Genesys Works prepares students technically and professionally to enter a corporate environment and change their lives.

Podcast

Brij Kothari - Literacy Through Entertainment

What do you get when you combine a love of Bollywood music videos with widespread illiteracy? Brij Kothari sees an opportunity to make the world a better place. By subtitling popular entertainment, he helps millions learn to read in a fun way. He's also creating multiplatform stories that will be seen on TV, read on mobile phones, and printed in books. Talking to Design for Change host Sheela Sethuraman in this audio interview, Kothari describes how he improves lives by incorporating education into everyday entertainment.

Podcast

Kyle Zimmer - Fearlessly Helping the World to Read

First Book is a not-for-profit organization that provides books to low-income students. In this audio interview, founder Kyle Zimmer discusses with Design for Change host Sheela Sethuraman the evolution of her startup from a mere idea in 1992 to an organization with hundreds of employees and millions of books. She also outlines how she's applied best business practices to create a scalable entrepreneurial model.

Podcast

Susan Colby - Nonprofit Management Approaches at Bridgespan

In nonprofit management, implementing organizational changes can be a huge challenge. In this audio lecture, Susan Colby shares the Bridgespan approach to nonprofit strategy by taking the example of one of her clients, the Harlem Children's Zone. Speaking at the 2006 Nonprofit Management Institute at Stanford, she walks her audience of high-level nonprofit executives through a rather challenging process to tactfully institute radical organizational changes.

Podcast

Sakena Yacoobi - Creating Hope for Afghan Women

During turbulence and social upheaval most people retreat into themselves and focus on only one task—survival. Fortunately for the women and children of Afghanistan, Sakena Yacoobi did more. With only $20,000, Yacoobi formed what is now the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL). Until the fall of the Taliban in 2001, AIL operated underground. AIL now serves 350,000 women and children each year. Yacoobi explains her vision for AIL to Design for Change host Sheela Sethuraman as well as her incredible journey and experiences along the way.

Podcast

Wendy Kopp - Narrowing Educational Gaps Across America

In an effort to narrow the gap in educational opportunities, Teach For America currently places over 5,000 teachers in low-income and poorly performing schools across the country. Its growing corps of alumni is also taking their educational experiences into careers in law, public health, policy making, and leadership. In this audio interview, Wendy Kopp, founder and chief executive officer of Teach For America, tells host Sheela Sethuraman about the history, goals, and ideals of that program.