WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools has announced a new partnership with 1776, a global incubator and investment fund dedicated to creating opportunities for promising startups. The partnership will help connect some of the nations most innovative thinkers and developers interested in K-12 education with charter school leaders and mentors across the country.
Public charter schools have the freedom and flexibility needed to explore new and innovative ways of educating our students, said National Alliance President and CEO Nina Rees. We are pleased to partner with 1776 to help connect entrepreneurs interested in K-12 education with charter schools across the country. This partnership will not only provide the framework for meaningful collaboration, but it will also spur valuable discussions around what is needed to improve our schools and ensure more students have access to a high-quality education that meets their needs.
As part of the collaboration with 1776, the National Alliance will provide mentors for 1776’s Challenge Cup 2015, a global competition spanning 16 cities in 11 countries to identify the most promising startups to solve the worlds biggest challenges. In addition, this years Challenge Cup winners will have the opportunity to attend the 2015 National Charter Schools Conference where they will present their ideas to school leaders and teachers from around the country.
“At Challenge Cup, we’re ushering in the next generation of innovators who are addressing some of our most fundamental challenges and changing the way we approach important issues like education,” said 1776 co-founder, Donna Harris. “Partnering with an organization like the National Alliance will provide our startups with the opportunity to connect with school leaders and administrators who not only understand students’ needs, but also have the ability to help navigate the complexities of our education system.”
Earlier this week, Rees led a roundtable discussion with entrepreneurs at 1776 where she provided advice about the challenges and opportunities facing K-12 education. Innovation is one of the cornerstones of the charter school model, said Rees. We are looking forward to working with 1776 over the coming year to explore new and innovative ways to strengthen public education for all students.
About Public Charter Schools
Public charter schools are independent, public, and tuition-free schools that are given the freedom to be more innovative while being held accountable for advancing student achievement. Since 2010, all but one independent research study has found that students in charter schools do better in school than their traditional school peers. For example, one study by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University found that charter schools do a better job teaching low income students, minority students, and students who are still learning English than traditional schools. Separate studies by the Center on Reinventing Public Education and Mathematica Policy Research have found that charter school students are more likely to graduate from high school, go on to college, stay in college and have higher earnings in early adulthood.
About the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is the leading national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the public charter school movement. Our mission is to lead public education to unprecedented levels of academic achievement by fostering a strong charter sector. For more information, please visit our website at www.publiccharters.org.
About 1776
1776 is a global incubator and seed fund that finds promising startups focused on solving the worlds most fundamental challenges and helps engineer their success. Just shy of two years old, 1776 has helped more than 250 startups grow by vetting their viability and connecting them to a swat team of support, from investors to mentors, government officials, and institutional market partners that they need to succeed. 1776 focuses on startups in the most broken, entrenched industries and sectors that impact millions of lives every day specifically education, energy, health and cities. For more information, visit www.1776dc.com.
