Category Archives: NEWS

‘This money does not belong to us.’ Our conversation with Dr. Gislaine N. Ngounou.

Nellie Mae Education Foundation’s mission is to champion community-driven efforts that challenge racial inequities and advance excellent, student-centered public education for youth throughout New England. Dr. Ngounou touches on her personal beliefs about philanthropy, describes the challenges that Nellie Mae and other foundations faced during the pandemic, the centrality of youth voice and partnerships, how our expectations about impact and change can be fundamentally refined, and more.

OPINION: Why the narrative that critical race theory ‘makes white kids feel guilty’ is a lie

Written by Ursula Wolfe-Rocca and Christie Nold   Why the narrative that critical race theory ‘makes white kids feel guilty’ is a lie   The wave of state legislation and school board policies restricting what educators can and can’t teach shows no signs of slowing. These efforts rely on a narrative that learning about the history of…

Early data offers a sobering look at interrupted and incomplete learning, but there is hope ahead

As young people, families, and educators near the end of yet another hectic pandemic school year, new research studying the early impact of remote learning offers a sobering look at experiences and outcomes, including interrupted and incomplete learning. The latest study from Harvard’s Center for Education Policy Research is based on testing data from 2.1 million students across the country.

Promoting Equity And Embracing Identity For Asian American Students

Promoting Equity And Embracing Identity For Asian American Students   In the two years since the coronavirus outbreak erupted, Asian American students have endured an onslaught of bullying and abuse in schools across the U.S. This troubling rise in anti-Asian bigotry has reinforced the need for increased representation in curricula with a more thorough telling…

The Four Pivots: Reimagining Justice, Reimagining Ourselves

Join author and Professor Shawn Ginwright, Ph.D.; Fred Blackwell, CEO of the San Francisco Foundation; Gislaine Ngounou, EdD, Interim President and CEO of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation; Robert K. Ross, President and CEO of the California Endowment; and Carmen Rojas, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Marguerite Casey Foundation for a conversation surrounding Four Pivots: Reimagining Justice, Reimagining Ourselves.

100 Days in: A Town Hall with Mayor Michelle Wu Presented by Nellie Mae Education Foundation

100 Days in: A Town Hall with Mayor Michelle Wu Presented by Nellie Mae Education Foundation   Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, the first woman and first person of color elected mayor of the city, has had eventful several months in office — from moving those living at the encampment at Mass. and Cass into temporary…

PrepareRI 2.0 – Looking Ahead!

PrepareRI 2.0 – Looking Ahead!   Educators, community leaders, and supporters of career education across the state joined us this year for the 2022 PrepareRI Summit, an opportunity for us to celebrate progress, dive into the challenges and barriers to access our students still face, and chart a course for the future of career pathways…

NCRP Honors Nellie Mae Education Foundation with Its “Changing Course” Award for Incorporating Feedback

Posted by NCRP Impact Awards   NCRP HONORS NELLIE MAE EDUCATION FOUNDATION WITH ITS “CHANGING COURSE” AWARD FOR INCORPORATING FEEDBACK   Massachusetts-based foundation celebrated for authentically folding in stakeholder feedback and realigning their grantmaking strategies in support racial equity in education.   WASHINGTON DC – Even before organized protests in 2020 reshaped the national debate around…

We must confront the past to move forward

Posted by Gislaine Ngounou   We must confront the past to move forward   Here in school districts across Rhode Island, like many across the nation, our schools, our educators and the teaching of truth have been under attack. Tactics by politicians and organizers have been quick to label teaching about systemic racism, white supremacy…

Gislaine N. Ngounou: In our classrooms, let’s teach the truth

Posted by Union Leader   Gislaine N. Ngounou: In our classrooms, let’s teach the truth   IN STATE legislatures across the country, including here in New Hampshire, legislation introduced seeking to ban the teaching of “divisive concepts” poses a threat to our young people, our communities, and our collective futures. With language taken directly from…