Education Pioneers Recruits Record Number of Applicants From Top Graduate Schools

Organization to provide skilled leaders to drive urban education reforms

OAKLAND, Calif., June 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Education Pioneers, a network of education leaders and entrepreneurs, today announced that it has recruited a record number of applicants from top graduate programs across the country.  With a highly-selective admissions process, approximately 300 graduate students out of nearly 2,500 applicants were chosen to participate in the 2010 Summer Graduate School Fellowship Program – an acceptance rate of just over 10 percent.  The program includes a summer position with a leading education organization as well as peer support and rigorous training on the challenges of K-12 education.

The national non-profit organization mobilizes top graduate students and provides them with an opportunity to launch a career in education.  Through its summer fellowship program, Education Pioneers prepares its Fellows to become leaders in the field through high-impact work experience, training, and access to a robust network in the public education sector.

Education Pioneers recruits select graduate students in business, policy, law, and education from top universities, including Harvard, New York University, Columbia, Duke, Georgetown, and Stanford.  Nearly 70 percent of the Fellows in the 2010 class have between three to six years of career and professional experience.  Prior work experience includes major companies such as Google, McKinsey & Company, Harlem Children's Zone, Goldman Sachs, and Boeing.  In addition, nearly 50 percent of Education Pioneers Fellows in the 2010 class are people of color.

"We have a rigorous and selective admission process," said Scott Morgan, founder and CEO of Education Pioneers.  "We recruit diverse, high-caliber graduate students to catalyze change in urban education.  These leaders have the talent, experience, and drive needed to transform our education system. We unite them behind our mission to ensure all students have the skills to thrive in college, career, and life."

Education Pioneers partners with more than 130 organizations across the country, including school districts, government agencies, charter schools, and other leading education organizations. By placing highly-qualified Fellows with these key institutions, Education Pioneers provides organizations that lead and administer education with direct access to people with the skills necessary to improve public education and increase student achievement.

During the summer fellowship, selected graduate students apply their unique skills and prior professional experience working full-time on a high-impact education project.  Examples of projects include the development of a student achievement data system for a school district, project management of a facilities-renovation project, preparation of "growth and quality" expansion plans for charter schools, advocacy work to support school turnaround strategies, as well as many other critical projects to improve education and increase student achievement.

Following the summer fellowship, Education Pioneers assists its alumni in securing full-time leadership roles, such as district administrators, nonprofit executives, policymakers, and philanthropists.  Of Education Pioneer Fellows today, 72 percent work full-time in the field of education following graduate school.

Education Pioneers was founded in 2003 in the San Francisco Bay Area.  It currently operates in Washington, D.C., New York City, Boston, Chicago, Houston, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Los Angeles.  Since its launch, Education Pioneers has placed more than 900 Fellows in United States education organizations.

"Education Pioneers is a tremendous source of talent for schools, districts, and education organizations," said Don Shalvey, deputy director, US Programs for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and founder and former CEO of Aspire Public Schools.  "When Aspire needed to fill an important staff position, Education Pioneers' network of alumni was one of our top hiring resources."

About Education Pioneers

Education Pioneers mobilizes and prepares a national network of talented leaders and entrepreneurs to transform our education system into one that equips all students with the skills they need to thrive in college, career, and life. Through the organization's Fellowship and Alumni leadership programs, Education Pioneers increases the talent supply of top leaders in education and improves leadership capacity in key organizations – such as school districts, charter school organizations, and nonprofits – in the education sector. More information about Education Pioneers can be found at www.educationpioneers.org.

SOURCE Education Pioneers