Community Cultivators Archives - Early Learning Nation

Bird by Bird: Mya-Rose Craig’s Campaign for the Planet

Mark Swartz·Aug 7, 2019·4 min read

Mya-Rose Craig, 17-years old, has followed her passion for birds and the environment to create and galvanize a community of activists of all ages. In the process, as a young Muslim woman, she’s been trolled on social media. Not an insurmountable problem, though, as Mya-Rose is keeping her eye on a larger issue: saving the planet.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: A Child Of Television Explores History – Personal, American and Global – to Illuminate Ancestry, Cultural Influences and Social Justice

Mark Swartz·Feb 15, 2021·6 min read

Just as Early Learning Nation showcases the ways families, researchers and grassroots nonprofits and organizations are building an early learning...

Roger Brooks = Right Leader at the Right Time for a Pioneering Approach to History Education

Mark Swartz·May 28, 2020·5 min read

Julie Leff can pinpoint the moment when she knew Roger Brooks was the right person to lead Facing History and...

For Families and Children, a Champion for Democracy and “Constructive Disagreements”

Mark Swartz·Nov 2, 2022·6 min read

Here are five principles Dutta-Gupta keeps in mind while leading an anti-poverty organization dedicated to ensuring that policies, programs and practices advance racial equity.

Kyle Zimmer Builds Community of Educators on Frontlines of Economic and Educational Justice

Mark Swartz·Oct 29, 2019·9 min read

In the late 1980s, as Washington, D.C., endured the crack era, Kyle Zimmer felt compelled to do something to help...

Make. Learning. Relevant.

Dean Kamen’s Vision for Building Community

Mark Swartz·Jul 1, 2019·5 min read

Imagine a world where baseball is a subject taught in school. Just one thing is missing from this imaginary curriculum: the students never actually get to play the game. In September, they open their textbooks and read about the origins and rules of baseball. After winter break they take tests on pitching and hitting records set by the greatest players. By the spring, classes delve into the nuances of base stealing and bunting. So what if they never swing a bat themselves or catch a line drive, right? It’s not like any of them are going to become professional ballplayers, right? To Dean Kamen, this scenario is no more absurd than the way math and science have been taught traditionally.

Sal Khan and His Planet-Saving Academy

Mark Swartz·Jul 28, 2022·4 min read

As founder of the organization and its nonprofit offshoots Schoolhouse.world, Khan Lab School and Khan World School, he has built a planet-changing education powerhouse that touches millions.

How Crystal Rountree is Deepening the Cross-Generational Magic of Jumpstart

Mark Swartz·Jul 10, 2024·5 min read

What do you get when you put a young child and a young adult together in a classroom? Magic, says Crystal Rountree, CEO of Jumpstart.

More Than Meets the Eye: Jeremiah Program’s Chastity Lord

Mark Swartz·Sep 27, 2023·5 min read

The possibilities are unlimited for the children of single mothers. Just ask President Barack Obama. Vice President Kamala Harris. Ford Foundation president Darren Walker. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Entrepreneur and Pittsburgh Steelers owner Thomas Tull. Comedians like Jon Stewart and Eddie Murphy, performers like Jay-Z and Mariah Carey, athletes like LeBron James, Hope Solo and Alex Rodriguez.