How have fellow ventures contributed to education innovations?

• Achieve Your Purpose Academy is a K-8th school where students explore different components of their identity through literacy across core subjects and produce projects that highlight their core self-identified values and overall being. • Reading Train provides 100s of print and digital story books with audio and visual supports so that the very earliest readers can read and record the books independently, building self-confidence, vocabulary and foundational reading skills. • Ivy New Orleans Leadership is New Orleans' only all girls charter school designed to empower scholars to lead their way through our innovative program which integrates academic support, leadership development, and wellness. • Immersive gatherings transform and re-ignite educators to find wholeness individually and thrive together. We build solidarity and vulnerability through joyful and contemplative activities. We nourish, nurture, and flourish as one. • Imagine students emboldened to create a future Chicago. Imagine school experiences that inspire passions, infuse strong, supportive relationships and catalyze students to impact their communities as social entrepreneurs and innovators.

HOW HAVE FELLOW VENTURES CONTRIBUTED TO EDUCATION INNOVATIONS?

Fellowship ventures that are supported by 4.0 exemplify a broad range of innovation and diversity. While 4.0 provides early investments for a broad variety of projects, all are unified by 4.0’s underlying long-term goals of increased academic and socio-emotional learning (SEL), improved education, improved quality of life, and improved communitybased, culturally-relevant educational programming. Some examples of innovation areas addressed by 4.0 ventures are: · SEL tools and resources · Mindfulness, mental health, self-discovery, empathy and healing/restorative practices in school and community environments · College and workplace readiness, mentoring and reducing financial burdens of higher education

· Character and leadership development, civic dialogue, community organizing, social justice, and social impact projects to address community issues · Anti-racist teachings and workshops for educators to strengthen culturally responsive teaching · STEM education, reading and non-English language programs · Most ventures also have a particular focus to reach and uplift members of marginalized communities (BIPOC, LGBTQIA, special needs, teenage girls of color, and more)

In addition to these overall educational innovations, early childhood education (ECE) is one of 4.0’s key investment areas and serves as a foundational example of how ventures have grown to contribute to education innovations. In the ECE Case Studies (2021), Alumni identified four ways that 4.0 contributed to the launch of their six ECE ventures, and to their development as a founder (see Table 9).

Table 9: The Six Innovative ECE Ventures (ECE Case Studies, 2021) Mathematician, Jr The program recognizes that for many, the idea of math instruction is laden with poor experiences. Mathematician, Jr. works to provide a novel tool, along with other resources for parents and children, to “accelerate math learning.”

Early Partners Recognizing the importance of early childhood education for both kids and parents, Early Partners seeks both to provide equitable access to high-quality early childhood education for all children and to support their teachers and families. This program’s core values include: learning, kindness, creativity, teamwork, and responsibility. Early Partners currently operates as a non-profit, employer-based childcare center with a family academy component to support parents.