Rob Kimball, a student in the Learning Sciences master's program, and Erica Labovitz, a student in the Master of Science in Learning and Organizational Change (MSLOC) program, were awarded Education Pioneers Fellowships to work with charter schools in Chicago this summer.Education Pioneers is a nonprofit human capital organization focused on attracting and developing talented leaders capable of transforming K-12 urban education. Education Pioneers selects top graduate students to support partners in six major urban centers across the nation.
Kimball will be working with the KIPP Ascend Charter School in Chicago, where he will be optimizing the student information system. He will also be working with the school's faculty on modifying instruction based on the student data, which includes new and old assessments, behavior reports, and attendance information segmented by class, student and school.
Kimball's work with KIPP will draw on his experiences in the Learning Sciences program in several ways. "In Learning Sciences we focus on understanding effective learning environments in all their complexity. My design work and research in teacher learning will be very helpful as I develop learning opportunities for the KIPP Ascend faculty," he explains. "I also look forward to contributing a Learning Science perspective guided by our understanding of cognition in my discussions with other business and law fellows."
He applied to the Education Pioneers program because he appreciates the approach the organization takes. "Education Pioneers embodies the collaborative effort that I believe is critical to education reform. I was eager to collaborate with business and law students to develop practical solutions for Chicago's education reform initiatives," he says.
This summer Labovitz will be working with an organization called Partners for Developing Futures, a social venture firm in Chicago that invests primarily in charter schools for underserved students. Her project "will be very entrepreneurial and will involve a lot of work around impact measurement of charter schools," she says.
Labovitz is the third MSLOC student in three years to be named an Education Pioneers Fellow. In 2008 Christine Leung (MS08) was a fellow, working with City Year service corps in Boston; and in 2007 Meghan Tallent-Bennis (MS07) was a fellow, working with the Chicago Public Schools.
The Education Pioneers Fellowship Program provides high-achieving graduate students in business, education, law, public policy and other programs with an opportunity to make an impact with an education organization. Along with other fellows, Kimball and Labovitz will participate in professional development geared toward better understanding of key education issues and learning from those leaders who are already making a difference in the field.
Last Modified: 11/19/09