June 26, 2019
Voqal is excited to announce a new round of Education Opportunity Project grants focused on supporting organizations that are using innovative approaches to address opportunity gaps in education. The grants of $50,000 to National Education Policy Center (NEPC), Weird Enough Productions, LENA and TalkingPoints reflect Voqal’s belief that one of the best ways to achieve a more socially equitable world is by creating a more educated and empowered public.
National Education Policy Center (NEPC)
The National Education Policy Center (NEPC) at University of Colorado Boulder produces and disseminates high-quality, peer-reviewed research to inform education policy discussions guided by the belief that the democratic governance of public education is strengthened when policies are based on sound evidence. Voqal’s grant will support work associated with the national Schools of Opportunity recognition program.
Weird Enough Productions
Based in Washington, D.C., Weird Enough Productions and their school-focused program, Get Media L.I.T. (Learn, Inquire, and Inform), is a media company using unique media content to empower disadvantaged students and teach media and digital literacy. Voqal’s grant will support Weird Enough Productions’ efforts to expand the Get Media L.I.T. program to more schools.
LENA
Based in Boulder, Colorado, LENA focuses on increasing interactive talk in the early years of life, especially for disadvantaged children, which has proven to be a key factor in early brain development. LENA technology is used worldwide to measure early language environments for research, intervention and clinical use. Voqal’s grant will support the expansion of the LENA Grow program, an innovative professional development program for early childhood teachers.
TalkingPoints
Based in San Francisco, TalkingPoints is a multilingual, parent-teacher engagement platform with two-way translation and content. Its technology is designed to empower teachers and parents to build strong partnerships, change mindsets and increase their knowledge around the family’s role in education. Voqal’s grant will support efforts by TalkingPoints to evaluate its effectiveness at increasing communication between parents and teachers, increase parents’ engagement in their children’s schooling and improve children’s socioemotional skills in grade 3.
Voqal’s Education Opportunity Project seeks to measurably reduce educational opportunity gaps by providing capital and strategic advice to entrepreneurs and organizations working to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged populations. We believe these nonprofits exemplify this purpose and look forward to the more equitable educational system that will no doubt result from their work.