With equal parts irony, humility, and pride, last night I attended the 15th Annual Webby Awards in recognition of the REDU project receiving the Activism Webby Award for 2011. The REDU team on the Bing side was comprised of Stefan Weitz, Aya Zook and myself. We worked with Creative Artists Agency, Rokkan and Good for content and site design, and in the process engaged via the CAA Foundation with multiple nonprofits: CityYear, Communities in...
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This week, Bing and REDU are excited to partner with TED to host a mini-think tank with some of the leading minds in education.  The TEDActive Education Project will explore such questions as how we might empower kids to make an impact on education system, and the role of internet and social media in facilitating conversations around education.   The project coincides with the annual TED conference in Long Beach where the world’s...
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Each of us had a teacher who challenged us to be who we are today.  They pushed us a little harder.  They inspired us to do more.  They believed in our ability to succeed.  To celebrate great teachers and to encourage people to get involved in a teaching across the world, Bing’s REDU initiative has partnered with the Creative Artists Agency (CAA) Foundation to help sponsor eight teachers for a full school year through...
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As we highlighted last week, REDU HOMEROOM, a two-week fundraising exhibition featuring original art by five renowned artists is up and running in New York.   The featured artists: Scott Campbell, Neck Face, José Parla, Lucien Marc-Smith, and Luis Gispert are drawing from their personal experiences to produce works that inspire dialogue and action around education reform.   . In Jeff Staple’s words, the message of the...
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Starting today in New York City, REDU will be teaming with renowned designer and fashion pioneer Jeff Staple to raise awareness and inspire dialogue around education reform with HOMEROOM. A fundraising art exhibition, HOMEROOM provides a forum for people to join with the creative community to discuss ways to fix the challenges facing the American public education system today. The event kicks off with an opening party tonight, November 9th at 6...
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I was in New York last week and decided I’d stop by the Donors Choose offices.  I love Donors Choose because when people use their service, they become hooked on supporting education.  They see what a little money can do to help our teachers, our schools, and our kids.  It pays dividends.  So when Charles came into the meeting and told me that they had one of only two tents on the National Mall at this weekend’s...
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To those of you who attended- RE:FORM SCHOOL in NYC, a REDU call to action event to rethink our US education through visual arts and creative workshops- thank you for the support!  The numbers below testify to the energy and enthusiasm that everybody brought. The event was a unique convergence of education, art, and community. Through people like you we were able to draw awareness to the critical issues facing our schools while celebrating...
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In the past month since REDU launched, we have seen the call for education reinvention thrust into the middle of a national conversation.  The numbers are staggering – a third of our students never graduate, US ranks 18th out of 21 countries in math and science, over 1 million veteran teachers are set to retire.  So, whether it’s Waiting for Superman, the Education Nation summit, or just over the news, the topic of improving...
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In conjunction with the launch of the new U.S. teacher resource, http://teach.gov , the Bing team is excited to present our own Teach Here map app. Teach Here presents a veteran or potential teacher with a simple way to search for teacher prep programs, state teaching certification offices, school district headquarters, and local teaching jobs. A great education depends heavily on having great teachers, and this application represents a first for...
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Arne Duncan, the U.S. secretary of education, fields your questions in an Oct. 1 webcast. Are crumbling schools putting our nation’s future at risk? Are our teachers prepared for the myriad challenges they meet in the classroom? Is frequent testing giving us a good idea of student success and failure, or distorting comprehensive education for the next generation? MSN and Bing’s REDU initiative are presenting an opportunity for you to...
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