Expeditionary Learning CEO Scott Hartl Named Pahara-Aspen Education Fellow

NEW YORK, Sept. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Scott Hartl, President and CEO of Expeditionary Learning – an organization with two decades of success in transforming student learning, engagement, and educational outcomes – has been named a Pahara-Aspen Fellow by the Pahara Institute, together with the Aspen Institute. The Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship program recognizes exceptional leaders whose organizations have improved public education for underserved communities.

"We are at a watershed moment in American education," says Mr. Hartl. "This is an opportunity for all of us involved with education reform and excellence to take a leap forward in raising the bar for students in order to better prepare them for college, careers, and the rest of their lives. This has been Expeditionary Learning's vision for more than 20 years. 

"By bringing together a dynamic range of education leaders in this program, the Pahara-Aspen Fellowship is allowing us to capitalize on our best learning and research into what truly enhances student achievement, and then work together to propel our work forward. To be a part of this group is a powerful opportunity for Expeditionary Learning and our vision for the future."  

Expeditionary Learning (EL), which Hartl has been instrumental in growing for 20 years in different roles, began as a network of whole schools employing the EL project-based, deeper learning model – created through a joint venture of Outward Bound and Harvard Graduate School of Education. The Expeditionary Learning model promotes deeper student learning, academic achievement, and character development. Now with 160 district and charter schools, primarily in low-income areas, EL has also developed a top-rated curriculum in use nationally, and offers highly sought-after professional development for teachers and school leaders. Mathematica Policy Research found statistically significant positive impacts in both reading and math among EL middle-school students, with students in New York and Washington, D.C. performing months ahead of their public-school peers.

EL's free, open-source English Language Arts (ELA) Common Core curriculum for New York State, in use in more than 1,000 NYS public schools, recently hit a significant milestone: 2 million+ downloads in less than two years, by educators in both New York and states all over the country. Under Hartl's leadership, EL partnered with New York State to develop the grades 3-8 ELA curriculum around the Common Core.

Hartl is also an Ashoka Fellow and was featured on Forbes.com as one of "5 Innovators Working to Change the U.S. for the Better." He began his work with EL as a school designer, founding and running a high-performing EL school in Boston.

The Pahara-Aspen Fellowship is a partnership between the Pahara and Aspen Institutes. Pahara-Aspen Fellows become part of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, which currently includes nearly 1,900 Fellows from 48 countries who are collectively making tremendous positive change in the world. Each year, the Pahara-Aspen Fellowship brings together leaders from across the country for programs that create an environment where the Fellows can expand their thinking and work toward new solutions to the challenges around public education in the U.S. Criteria for selection to this program include a proven track record of exceptional success in educational excellence and demonstrated potential for greater leadership at the highest levels of civic, government, and business responsibility.

For more information about Scott Hartl and Expeditionary Learning, please contact Davia Temin or Suzanne Oaks Brownstein at [email protected] or 212.588.8788.

About Expeditionary Learning

Expeditionary Learning (EL) is a leading K-12 education organization dedicated to raising expectations and outcomes for students, teachers and schools. The EL model challenges students to think critically and take active roles in their classrooms and communities, resulting in higher achievement and engagement. Through its open-source curriculum, teacher-created resources, and professional development, EL works with new and veteran teachers in all school settings, helping them achieve their highest aspirations and strive for a vision of student success that joins academic achievement, character, and high quality work. EL partners with more than 160 district and charter schools and 4,000 teachers serving 53,000 students in 33 states and thousands of other teachers through its professional services work in New York and other states.    

SOURCE Expeditionary Learning