VELA Education Fund: Catalyzing Innovation in Education from the Ground Up
For generations, the traditional K-12 education model has largely remained unchanged, often failing to meet the diverse needs of all learners. Success in school has been narrowly defined by test scores, grades, and college acceptance rates. The VELA Education Fund emerges as a catalyst for change, believing that transformative advancements in education will arise from the ground up.
Origins and Mission
The VELA (Spanish for "candle") Education Fund was founded in 2019 with a mission to fund "non-traditional learning" and promote "permissionless innovation." It accomplishes this by investing in a diverse range of individuals, including entrepreneurs, students, parents, educators, and community leaders, who are pioneering alternative educational models. These models include micro schools, homeschool co-ops, and after-school programs.
The fund was established with initial donations of $5 million each from the Walton Family Foundation and the Charles Koch Institute. The VELA Education Fund is also listed as a partner of Stand Together, an advocacy network founded by Charles Koch.
VELA believes that education should help individuals discover their talents and motivations, rather than simply teaching them how to be automated.
Philanthropic Model: Trust and Grassroots Innovation
VELA's philanthropic model is built on trust, allowing it to take on more risk. The organization intentionally offers smaller grant amounts to a larger number of entrepreneurs to catalyze as much innovation and creativity as possible. Meredith Olson, the president of the VELA Education Fund, emphasizes that limiting access to opportunities limits the potential for social change.
Read also: What makes a quality PE curriculum?
By investing in grantees, VELA aims to spread alternative educational methods on a grassroots level, enabling community members to share ideas, explore new types of education, and tap into their unique strengths. VELA does not dictate solutions to its grantees. Instead, VELA trusts grantees to identify what their communities need and how they can best meet those needs.
Financial Overview
Between 2019 and 2023, the VELA Education Fund raised a total of $51,939,550 through grants from various organizations, including a $1 million donation in 2023 from the Beth and Ravenel Curry Foundation, and funding from the Texas-based Miles Foundation.
In 2022, VELA provided $4.48 million in grants. That same year, the VELA Education Fund granted roughly $10,706,082 in grants to several recipients including a $10,000 grant to One Room School House while providing $1,792,500 in scholarships.
Grant Distribution and Recipients
VELA's grant distribution reflects its commitment to supporting a wide array of innovative educational initiatives.
2022 Grants:
Organizations receiving up to $50,000 Next Step awards included:
Read also: Maximize Savings on McGraw Hill Education
- Black Homeschoolers of Birmingham, a group that will replicate its model in Montgomery, Alabama
- Burbella Learning Academy
- Bridges to Science
- Rock Tree Sky and Bridge
Grants up to $250,000 went to organizations including:
- Canary Academy
- Moduto
- Soaring Education Services
- Microschool Builders
Earlier Grants:
In 2021, VELA made six grants to organizations including Black Mothers Forum, Weird Enough Productions, Smart Girls HQ, and Free Forest School. In 2020, VELA made grants to 11 organizations including Arizona Council for American Private Education, HighSchool for Recording Arts, Home School Legal Defense, Nevada Action for School Options, and Youth Entrepreneurs.
Micro Grants in Tarrant County
The Miles Foundation partners with VELA Education Fund to Expand Educational Opportunity in Tarrant County. Micro grants will be awarded to early-stage everyday entrepreneurs who are innovating outside the traditional education system. The application is intentionally simple and streamlined to facilitate a fast and flexible funding approach that enables entrepreneurs to quickly put their ideas into practice to meet learners’ and families’ immediate needs. Amount is between $2,500 and $10,000. For example, Barefoot University Forest School, started in Texas by two moms who wanted to provide their children with more outdoor learning experiences. Micro grants will be offered twice per year. The next application window will open in April.
Leadership
Meredith Olson serves as the president of the VELA Education Fund, guiding the organization's strategic direction and overseeing its grant-making activities.
Read also: Becoming a Neonatal Nurse
tags: #Vela #Education #Fund #overview
