Nonprofit Spotlight: National Education Equity Lab

Giving

In August 2021, PennyLoafer donors collectively gave to the National Education Equity Lab!

The Rundown

Years founded: 2019
Leadership: Leslie Cornfield, founder and CEO, is a former federal civil rights prosecutor and served as an education advisor under the Obama administration. Read more about the team.
Issue they address: the opportunity divide and lack of access to top universities for high school students in low-income communities.
What they do: provide a scalable College-in-High School model at no cost to students.
How they do it:

Partner with Universities (Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Howard, and more) + public schools across the country
Online college credit-bearing courses from top universities are co-taught with a trained teacher in the high school classroom.
Students receive additional supports (mentors, built-in resources)

Why they were chosen

It’s a newer nonprofit with a scalable model. They’re expanding quickly with a small team and impressive board. Students get access to elite universities, gain college credits and build their confidence. The universities build a new pipeline of prospective students that live outside of where they typically recruit.

For more, check out this profile of the National Education Equity Lab.

Learning

It’s back-to-school season. And with the influx of federal stimulus dollars, many school districts are rushing to meet the mental health needs of incoming students. Consider the following:

Upwards of 40% of youth have experienced negative impacts on their mental or social-emotional health during the pandemic.
Rates of anxiety, already on the rise pre-pandemic, have increased across all students, and especially girls.
About 119,000 children across the country have lost a primary caregiver to a covid-19 associated death.

How are schools responding?

More staff and resources. Approximately 44% of school district leaders say they have added mental health-focused staff, while another 32% are trying to do so.

Some schools have designated “chill rooms” and incorporated mindfulness practices into their day
Others are offering yoga to improve student well-being.
And across the country, high school students are advocating for mental health days off of school, leading some states to pass bills.

If you enjoyed this and want to get involved, you can support the Quality Education cause on PennyLoafer, starting with as little as $5/month. Each month, you’ll support and learn about a different nonprofit working to improve the education system.