Rest as Revolution NME

Rest as Revolution

Posted by Nellie Mae Ed. Fdn.   “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” — Audre Lorde   Rest is an integral but often neglected aspect of any movement — sufficient rest rejuvenates our minds and bodies and allows us to bring our best selves to our work. We recognize…

Reopening New England Schools

Posted by Nellie Mae Ed. Fdn.   As New England communities grapple with what learning will look like in the fall, we’ve sponsored a series of conversations across the region that have invited families, educators, young people, health professionals, and others to discuss what equitable reopening will look like. We invite you to watch recordings…

Educators for Black Lives NME

Educators for Black Lives

Photo by Allison Shelley for American Education: Images of Teachers and Students in Action, Posted by Aharewood   I vividly recall the first time I led a conversation on race in my classroom. The conversation happened on Monday, February 27th, the day after Trayvon Martin was murdered by George Zimmerman. At the time, I was a…

“Huey’s Kites” NME

“Huey’s Kites”

Posted by Nellie Mae Ed. Fdn.   “Flying kites is such a simple act of freedom. The peacefulness, open field, endless sky and seemingly unlimited ways the kite can move or flow. And yet, this freedom isn’t afforded to everyone. A basic childhood (and adult) act never experienced, to me, is a metaphor for the…

Race and Equity in the Time of COVID-19 NME

Race and Equity in the Time of COVID-19

Posted by Nellie Mae Ed. Fdn.   The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the racial inequities our country was built on, bringing to light how deeply systemic racism impacts our society at every level. At the same time, the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others expose the fact that anti-Blackness and police brutality have…

This Moment Shows Us Why Philanthropy Should Reinvent Itself NME

This Moment Shows Us Why Philanthropy Should Reinvent Itself

Photo by Brooklyn Museum / CC BY, Posted by Nellie Mae Ed. Fdn. By: Dr. Gislaine N. Ngounou, Vice President of Strategy and Programs, Nellie Mae Education Foundation   Much of the philanthropic community is earning praise for its response to COVID-19. To date, funders across the country have provided over $10 billion in grants, prompting some to even…

No justice, no peace. Know justice, know peace. NME

No justice, no peace. Know justice, know peace.

Photo by Lorie Shaull, Posted by Nellie Mae Ed. Fdn.   By Colleen Quint: Board Member at the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, and President & CEO of the Alfond Scholarship Fund in Maine   I have a confession: I pretty much stopped watching the news a few weeks ago. The daily litany of lies and self-congratulations,…

Silence is Complicity NME

Silence is Complicity

Posted by Nick Donohue   By Nick Donohue: President & CEO at the Nellie Mae Education Foundation   At the time we’ve reached the unthinkable milestone of 100,000 deaths as a result of COVID-19, we’ve also witnessed the murders of too many Black Americans at the hands of violence and white supremacy: George Floyd, Ahmaud…

Introducing Our New Community Advisory NME

Introducing Our New Community Advisory

Posted by Nellie Mae Ed. Fdn.   In January, we announced our new strategy to make advancing racial equity in public education the central focus of our grantmaking. Today, we are excited to share another important development — the onboarding of our new Community Advisory. We are tremendously grateful to our inaugural Community Advisory, whose contributions last year…