Voqal hopes to educate and engage the public to foster a stronger, healthier democracy. One of the most pervasive issues standing in the way of realizing that vision is the education opportunity gap. Of course, addressing this complex and multi-faceted problem cannot be achieved through any one solution. That’s why Voqal’s Education Opportunity Project (EOP) provides capital and strategic advice to entrepreneurs and organizations working to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged populations. In this month’s EOP spotlight, we highlight one of those organizations, CommunityShare.
CommunityShare is a nonprofit powered by educators, designers, researchers, and social entrepreneurs who believe young people everywhere deserve the opportunity to realize their full potential. It works online and offline to connect the skills and experiences of people in the community – everyday individuals with regular jobs and lives – to the needs and aspirations of educators and their students. Its goal is to support “real-world” learning opportunities that help young people discover their passions and transform those passions into future careers and fulfilling lives.
CommunityShare achieves this in four ways:
An Online Platform
CommunityShare’s online platform helps educators tap into the wealth of skills and experiences available in their community. Local professionals, scientists, artists, parents, and business owners create an online profile and then teachers can find and contact community partners who can serve as project collaborators, mentors guest speakers, field trip hosts, and more.
Community Engagement
CommunityShare partners with individual professionals and businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies to help them find meaningful ways to support learning in schools.
Educator Learning and Leadership
Every month CommunityShare brings together teachers at its home base in Tucson, Arizona, where it creates a supportive learning community that develops a practice of community-engaged, real-world learning.
Storytelling Workshops
CommunityShare’s digital media and storytelling workshops bring together educators, students, and community members to celebrate successes and engage diverse voices in creating a collective vision for real-world learning.
Something as daunting as the education opportunity gap won’t be solved overnight. However, thanks to the work of organizations like CommunityShare we are confident that it can be done. We are honored to be able to support it, and the many other organizations that are creating a more accessible education system for all.
Learn more about CommunityShare at communityshare.us.