News Briefs
Education Business Plan Competition Winners Announced
Photo credit: Ryan Collerd
Say It Labs, which develops video games that combine artificial intelligence and speech therapy to support children with speech disorders, captured both the $40,000 Michael and Lori Milken Family Foundation Grand Prize and the Osage Venture Partners Audience Choice Prize.
“The innovative solutions presented by this year’s winners are a testament to the enormous potential of the future of education,” said Michael Golden, GRD’07, vice dean of innovative programs and partnerships at Penn GSE. “These entrepreneurs are not only addressing today’s challenges but are also paving the way for the next generation of learners. Their success is a reflection of the creativity and commitment that drives the education sector forward.”
Other winners included Mumbai-based Saturday Art Class, which won the $25,000 Cognativ Inc. Prize for developing social-emotional skills through visual arts education in Indian schools, and Honest Game, which earned the $10,000 Magnitude Digital Prize for its software and services platform that helps navigate the complex world of college athletic eligibility and recruiting. All seven finalists received a portion of $50,000 in Amazon Web Services credits and $1,500 cash each from Catalyst @ Penn GSE.
New Partnership Brings Math Peer Tutoring Program to Rural Students
Successful completion of the training qualifies tutors for up to six undergraduate credits and a peer tutoring certificate from the University of Pennsylvania. The aim is to raise student achievement and increase the rates of college application, enrollment, matriculation, and success for rural students statewide.
“We are incredibly excited to expand our reach and offer high school students across Pennsylvania the opportunity to learn what it truly means to step into the role of a teacher,” said Penn Literacy Network Executive Director Lara Paparo, GED’06, GRD’22. “This program is more than just tutoring—it’s about empowering students to make a meaningful impact in their communities. This partnership allows us to deliver high-quality training and resources that not only improve student achievement, but also foster leadership, academic growth, and a sense of community—all key ingredients in cultivating the next generation of educators.”
The project will also create and disseminate resources aimed at supporting college success and readiness, which will be available to all students in participating districts. In addition to the 4,771 primary beneficiaries, college-readiness activities each spring and fall semester will impact an estimated 16,000-plus secondary school students from across the state, reflecting 10 percent of students attending rural high schools across Pennsylvania.
One Book, One GSE
New Grant Funds School District Partnership for College and Career Readiness
The Academy at Penn’s responsive, interdisciplinary model aims to address barriers that historically underserved students face in pursuing higher education and career goals, paying close attention to the unique needs of students impacted by trauma and those who are the first in their families to attend postsecondary schooling.
Participating students will take part in a range of inschool, after-school, weekend, and summer activities that promote academic success, well-being, belonging, and future readiness. At the end of their high school journey, participating students will be supported through the transition to college or the workforce.
Education Business Plan Competition Winners Announced
Photo credit: Ryan Collerd
Say It Labs, which develops video games that combine artificial intelligence and speech therapy to support children with speech disorders, captured both the $40,000 Michael and Lori Milken Family Foundation Grand Prize and the Osage Venture Partners Audience Choice Prize.
“The innovative solutions presented by this year’s winners are a testament to the enormous potential of the future of education,” said Michael Golden, GRD’07, vice dean of innovative programs and partnerships at Penn GSE. “These entrepreneurs are not only addressing today’s challenges but are also paving the way for the next generation of learners. Their success is a reflection of the creativity and commitment that drives the education sector forward.”
Other winners included Mumbai-based Saturday Art Class, which won the $25,000 Cognativ Inc. Prize for developing social-emotional skills through visual arts education in Indian schools, and Honest Game, which earned the $10,000 Magnitude Digital Prize for its software and services platform that helps navigate the complex world of college athletic eligibility and recruiting. All seven finalists received a portion of $50,000 in Amazon Web Services credits and $1,500 cash each from Catalyst @ Penn GSE.
New Partnership Brings Math Peer Tutoring Program to Rural Students
Successful completion of the training qualifies tutors for up to six undergraduate credits and a peer tutoring certificate from the University of Pennsylvania. The aim is to raise student achievement and increase the rates of college application, enrollment, matriculation, and success for rural students statewide.
“We are incredibly excited to expand our reach and offer high school students across Pennsylvania the opportunity to learn what it truly means to step into the role of a teacher,” said Penn Literacy Network Executive Director Lara Paparo, GED’06, GRD’22. “This program is more than just tutoring—it’s about empowering students to make a meaningful impact in their communities. This partnership allows us to deliver high-quality training and resources that not only improve student achievement, but also foster leadership, academic growth, and a sense of community—all key ingredients in cultivating the next generation of educators.”
The project will also create and disseminate resources aimed at supporting college success and readiness, which will be available to all students in participating districts. In addition to the 4,771 primary beneficiaries, college-readiness activities each spring and fall semester will impact an estimated 16,000-plus secondary school students from across the state, reflecting 10 percent of students attending rural high schools across Pennsylvania.
One Book, One GSE
New Grant Funds School District Partnership for College and Career Readiness
The Academy at Penn’s responsive, interdisciplinary model aims to address barriers that historically underserved students face in pursuing higher education and career goals, paying close attention to the unique needs of students impacted by trauma and those who are the first in their families to attend postsecondary schooling.
Participating students will take part in a range of inschool, after-school, weekend, and summer activities that promote academic success, well-being, belonging, and future readiness. At the end of their high school journey, participating students will be supported through the transition to college or the workforce.
New Certificate Program Launches
The inaugural cohort features 16 graduate students from across the University, six of whom are recipients of related scholarships that were also supported by McGraw’s foundation. All of the new participants got to know each other and learn more about their program during a special group orientation at the beginning of the academic year.
This new program also includes related cross-disciplinary programming aimed at cultivating a new generation of highly skilled educators, leaders, researchers, and policymakers who are optimally positioned to serve young children and those who care for them. Co-faculty Program Directors Vivian Gadsden and Sharon Wolf, C’06, launched a speaker series in partnership with GSE’s Early Childhood and Family Research Center that, so far, has sponsored two talks with visiting guest experts: one with J. Lawrence Aber of New York University and one featuring Temple University’s Kathryn Hirsh-Pasek and University of Delaware’s Roberta Golinkoff.
Recipients will be recognized at the Celebration of Educators during Alumni Weekend on