Innovation Isn’t Optional

Closing achievement gaps will take breakthrough change, and many have worked to support and inspire it. But COVID-19 is upending school and learning as we know it. While the future remains uncertain, the pandemic has underlined a greater need and desire to support innovations that can unlock the unique potential of all learners.

At the Walton Family Foundation (WFF), we believe that equitable change must be community-demanded, community-driven, and community-led and we will learn from and work with a range of researchers, entrepreneurs, and innovators to address critical challenges in education.

The more than 250 grant recipients from the VELA Education Fund, which is supported by WFF and the Charles Koch Institute, are starting and scaling inventive ideas to better serve children and families during this tumultuous time. VELA, and its grant recipients like Surf Skate Science and Zucchinis Homeschool Co-op, sees opportunities to dramatically improve access to education in communities during an unprecedented moment in an unprecedented time.

Together we believe in the power of individuals and communities to shape their futures and recognize that there’s no single answer to the education challenges communities face. Join us at our upcoming SXSW EDU session to learn more.

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Image courtesy of Walton Family Foundation