Posts by Caroline Vander Ark
Your Power Beyond the Polls: Ways Families Can Shape School Communities
Families can shape school communities by joining parent associations, volunteering, and engaging with school boards and partnerships.
Big Push for Small Schools Grants
The A Big Push for Small Schools program plans to roll out up to 20 grants, to fast-track the influence and scalability of select microschool models across the entire K-12 spectrum. We’re looking for diverse national models that utilize various funding methods. Our selection priority is to support models that cater to historically under-served communities.
Improving Organizational Culture: The What vs. The Why
The start of a new year is a great time to take a personal, team, and organization pulse and set intentions which will help carry you throughout the year. One helpful exercise for all organizations to go through is to reexamine both the organization’s “why” and each team member’s personal “why”.
Learning Gardens Provide Equity, Access and Great Food
Caroline Vander Ark has long appreciated community and school gardens but worried that they often didn’t connect to student learning and create a lasting impact. However, when she heard about the work of Big Green she was intrigued and reached out to Kate Waller, who manages their national growth to learn more.
Designing the Classroom of the Future: Technology as a Force Multiplier
By: Caroline Vander Ark. It’s my mission to ensure that all students have access to high quality personalized learning options. Technology can help us get there faster and bridge the divide that too many students still face. The innovative use of technology allows educators to reconfigure the traditional K-12 classroom and redesign schools to create personalized learning solutions that better serve all students.
Getting Smart on Data Interoperability
This Smart Bundle features case studies from the perspective of educators and administrators, as well as a series of profiles that share how companies are thinking, planning and guiding their product development process to address these user needs.
Avoid Summer Brain Drain with Place-Based Learning
Avoid summer learning loss with powerful learning experiences outside the classroom walls. With place-based education students can continue learning and connect with their community.
Your Planning Process Signals What’s Important
Having worked with hundreds of impact organizations, we have found that how you plan may be as important as what you decide.
Work with Us – Getting Smart is Hiring!
Getting Smart is currently hiring for both full and part-time roles. Learn more about the opportunities and apply!
Modern Montessori: From Early Edu to High School
At this year’s ASU-GSV Summit our team had the opportunity to facilitate a discussion on modern Montessori school models with a group of inspiring school leaders from around the country. Here's what we learned.