Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies

Aldine Independent School District in Texas began the journey of drastically changing how reading is taught in 2020, not knowing that a global pandemic was on the horizon.   When COVID hit, the district didn’t abandon the plan; they persevered. In part three of the Lemonada Media literacy series, host Gloria Riviera talks with Aldine Superintendent LaTonya Goffney and Executive Director of Literacy and Social Studies Jacqueline Beas about how they made the seismic shift to their #literacyeducation during the pandemic. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e4nV2SVm

As we look ahead to 2025, we are filled with immense gratitude for our grantees, partners and colleagues. They navigated the headwinds of the past year with vision and focus, upheld our shared values and made meaningful strides toward a more just and inclusive world. From all of us at Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, thank you. We wish you a meaningful start to the new year!

#Chanukah reminds us that even in the darkest seasons, hope continues to shine brightly—illuminating the path toward healing and justice. In the past year, hope has not always been easy to find. Yet, through each challenging moment, our grantees have rekindled the light by continuing to provide support and foster connection within their communities. Please join us in drawing inspiration from their work by exploring their #Chanukahresources below. May they bring new depth and meaning to your holiday observance this season. 🕯️ Reboot's “Erev Yalda” combines the Persian winter solstice celebration of Yalda with Chanukah traditions to bring warmth and celebration to the year’s longest night: https://bit.ly/41Iyv4t 🕯️ JDC (The Joint)’s “A Great Miracle Happened Here” invites community members worldwide to join together on Dec. 22 to celebrate, learn and reflect on the past year: https://bit.ly/3P29Twb 🕯️ Recustom’s “Ultimate Guide to Kid-Friendly Chanukah Activities” offers families creative ways to celebrate the holiday while centering joy and curiosity: https://bit.ly/3P0XvMW 🕯️ Keshet’s “Eight Nights of Action” invites community members to dedicate their time, energy and efforts through meaningful actions that help bring us closer to a just world: https://bit.ly/3ZN4YUQ

The pandemic sparked a surge in public support for teachers, but that momentum has since faded. Now, it’s time for a new social contract—a renewed commitment to honoring and supporting teachers. 🖊️ In a recent op-ed, Sharif El-Mekki, Executive Director of our grantee Center for Black Educator Development, outlines forms of support that sustain and strengthen the #teaching profession by attracting diverse new teachers and retaining current ones. Ultimately, these efforts pave more equitable paths to #studentsuccess. Take a look: https://bit.ly/49GyYGv

Each semester, schools across the country welcome a growing number of students learning English as a second language. As our #multilingual student populations grow, it’s critical that teachers are equipped to provide #literacy instruction that meets their needs, builds on their strengths and prepares them for success in every subject. These resources are designed to help educators do just that. ✔️ Find links in the comments!

Come work with us! We are partnering with Staffing Advisors to hire a Senior Program Officer to join our Criminal Justice grantmaking team. Check out the job listing for more details and how to apply. #joblisting #hiring #criminaljustice

#Hiring: Senior Program Officer, Criminal Justice Grantmaking, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies (salary: $140K - $165K, hybrid in NYC). Opportunity to lead the high-level strategy, planning, and management of the Reducing and Repairing Harm sub-portfolio, funding initiatives that support successful reentry, enhance economic mobility, and build the leadership capacity of formerly incarcerated individuals. This work isn’t about making incremental changes to deeply broken systems—it’s about addressing the interwoven crises of housing insecurity, economic inequity, and racial injustice so that every individual has the chance to contribute, succeed, and lead in our communities. ➡️ Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/eTTtamPY #criminaljusticereform #philanthropy #seniorprogramofficer #nonproftjobs

“Yalla,” meaning “come on!” in Hebrew, is a spirited call to action—and the inspiration behind Yallapalooza, a free concert hosted last month by our grantee Hillel International and UJA-Federation of New York. The gathering brought together Jewish students from over 200 universities for an evening of music and solidarity, featuring performances by Matisyahu and Netta Barzilai, as well as Nova Festival survivors Yonatan Cohen and Omri Sasi, co-founder of the Tribe of Nova Foundation. We hope that the light and energy sparked from this amazing experience will serve as an inspiration to carry us through this month and into the new year. Yalla! https://bit.ly/49q0EPQ

How can educators ensure their #curriculum is inclusive, relevant and engaging? As part of the CRLA Curriculum Collaborative, our grantees, including EdTrust, English Learners Success Forum, NYU Metro Center, Student Achievement Partners, UnboundEd and TNTP partnered to define #curriculumdesign principles that equip educators to deliver affirming, grade-level #literacy instruction to prepare students for college and career success. 🎓 Discover how the resulting programs can transform K-12 education: https://bit.ly/CRLACC.

What does it take to build confident readers? Just ask the educators at Baltimore City Public Schools, where students are leading the state in English Language Arts. In an episode of the podcast, Good Things, host Gloria Riviera joins Dr. Joan Dabrowski, Chief Academic Officer at BCPS, and Olia Hardy, Principal of William Paca Elementary to unpack their strategies. They share how an affirming and engaging approach to literacy instruction and meeting the needs of #multilinguallearners in their first language has helped all students in the district to succeed. Listen now → https://lnkd.in/eNswKes9