"The Education Pioneers Fellowship is not just a job and a few lines on the resume. It was a time to truly explore the field, dig into the issues, understand my specific calling, and connect with others."

Jeff Kang, 2007 DC Metro Fellow, MBA, UC Berkeley

Strategy & Impact

We don't believe that any single theory, policy, or organization is going to transform urban schools, which is why we're building a network of leaders across the entire urban education system. These leaders – principals, district administrators, education entrepreneurs, policy makers, nonprofit managers, and philanthropists – have a dramatic impact on the quality of urban education.

Our Theory of Change:

Education Pioneers strives to:

  1. Develop a pipeline of talented education leaders from multiple disciplines,
  2. Increase the capacity of existing schools, districts, and education ventures to operate as high-performing organizations, and
  3. Build the strongest national network of education leaders and change agents.

How it Works:

  • High-caliber graduate students with professional backgrounds make an immediate impact in education by spending the summer working on a mission-critical project for a Partner organization.
  • Fellows learn how to leverage their unique skills, experience, and education to meet the needs of leading education organizations or develop an entrepreneurial solution for unmet needs.
  • As part of a multi-disciplinary cohort, Fellows participate in professional development workshops designed to help them explore how their unique skill sets can be leveraged to support urban education.

The Result:

  • Education Pioneers currently has a network of over 600 talented Alumni committed to transforming the education system.
  • 70% of Education Pioneers Alumni go to work full-time in the field of education following graduate school and collaborate with other Alumni, mentors, and Partner organizations throughout their careers.