Partners of '63 | Active Programs

Partners of '63 currently supports seven "active programs." Each has been thoroughly reviewed and endorsed by the Program Committee, and each has a Partner that "champions" the initiative.

DonorsChoose
In 2001 Charles Best, a twenty-something teacher in a Bronx high school, saw that caring, creative teachers needed things the established system would not provide but that good Samaritans might, if asked. So Charles created www.donorschoose.org for the asking, and an organization to get the funded gift to the classroom and the classroom's thanks to the donor. In 2003 we pitched in with pricing and branding counsel, business planning disciplines, donor market research and especially with the creation of a full-time marketing position. Gary Blakely manages our program team. In 2005 DonorsChoose is expanding from NYC to NC, the Bay Area, and Chicago.

Expeditionary Learning Schools / Outward Bound
Expeditionary Learning (ELS) is not a wilderness program -- it is the application of what Outward Bound has learned in the woods to the reform of American schools.

In brief, ELS 'happened' in 1992, when Outward Bound’s search for better ways to serve inner city kids in their communities found the New American Schools RFP, and won funding to develop a scaleable design for better schools. ELS now operates in 143 elementary, middle and high schools in 31 states, DC and Puerto Rico. Under a Gates grant, in 2005 ELS launched two new high schools, the first of twenty.

Partners '63’s first assignment at ELS was to tackle its own perceived branding problem, partly by addressing the strength and legitimacy (in education reform) of the parent Outward Bound brand. Our program is led by Doug Tansill, an Expeditionary Learning Schools board member.

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology)
This well-established not-for-profit organization was founded to inspire young people's interest and participation in science, technology, engineering, and math. This year, over 84,000 young people on close to 7,000 teams are participating in the FIRST Robotics Competition for high-school students and the FIRST Lego League for 9-14 year olds. The organization welcomes Partners as volunteers, judges, or team mentors; and also welcomes assistance identifying potential sponsors. Jim Utaski is our Program Manager. For more information on this program, click here.

Innovations for Learning
This program has developed an effective reading software program to help kids learn to read. Tutoring is done in two ways: face-to-face and via Internet. Corporate partners (Boeing, IBM, Tribune Corp.) provide money and volunteer tutors. In Chicago, the program has been tested and proven over the past decade and is expanding this year from 10 schools and 2,000 kids to 20 schools. It brings most first graders to grade level by the end of that key year at an affordable cost (because volunteers from corporate sponsors do so much of the work). Ready for roll-out to other cities, Innovations for Learning wants Partners’ help on expansion strategy as well as operations and PR.

Public Education Leadership
Effective programs are in place today to provide leadership training for business and the military. Yet nothing comparable exists to provide similar training for the leaders of our public schools. As a consequence, in our public school system, as Don Nielsen says, "we get leadership by accident, not by design." This is one reason we have so few excellent schools and so many mediocre ones. Partners63 has decided to address this need. A working team has been formed with Don Nielsen as Program Manager. It may take all of 2002 to scope our Program and prepare our Business Plan. But we have begun. Click here for more information.

The New Teacher Project
This revenue generating, non-profit consulting organization partners with school districts to recruit, select, train and support outstanding new teachers. This organization consists of more than 30 professional consultants — gearing up to "roll out" its efforts nationwide — it is at an "ideal" state of development to involve a number of Partners63 partners. Our Program Manager is Fred O'Such. For more information on this program, click here.

Year Up
Year Up’s mission is to close the Opportunity Divide by providing urban young adults with the skills, experience, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education. This mission is achieved through a one-year, intensive training program based on a high support, high expectation model that combines marketable job skills, stipends, apprenticeships, college credits, a behavior management system and several levels of support to place these young adults on a viable path to economic self-sufficiency.

Year Up has achieved excellent results to date: • 100% placement of qualified students into apprenticeships • 83% student retention • 90% of apprentices meet or exceed apprenticeship partner expectations • 87% of graduates placed in full or part-time positions within 4 months of graduation • $15/hr average wage at placement.