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For students, teachers, and parents everywhere, the coming weeks will be one of the most exciting times of the year (or, for some kids, the most dreaded 😉). Even if you don’t currently orient your life around the school calendar, the back-to-school season can be a time for fresh beginnings, like learning a new skill or starting a volunteer role.
As students head back to classrooms, we’re reminded of the power of education to shape the world around us.
In that spirit, this month we celebrate a trailblazing educator who believed education could be a weapon for peace. Plus, we’ve rounded up more stories about how today’s investors and entrepreneurs are striving to make a difference for students around the world.
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Blazing New Trails in Education
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When Maria Montessori was born in Italy in 1870, teaching was one of the few professions open to women, but she didn’t settle for her limited options. She defied gender norms to become one of the country’s first female physicians, although that ultimately led her back to teaching. She became a world-renowned educator, transforming the way children were taught for generations.
After receiving her medical degree, Montessori worked in a children’s psychiatric clinic. Disturbed by the learning difficulties she witnessed in her patients, she began questioning existing methods for educating children. In 1907, she opened a childcare center in Rome where she introduced radical ideas like hands-on games and child-sized tables — which are now the norm in any preschool or kindergarten classroom.
Within just six years of opening the school, her first book, “The Montessori Method,” had been translated into 10 languages, and teacher training sites and Montessori schools popped up on five continents. Today, Montessori’s methods are used in nearly 20,000 schools that bear her name worldwide, and her teachings have influenced many more preschools.
More than just changing the way students learned, Montessori also believed that education could be the basis for world peace. She fled Italy in 1934 to escape political surveillance and harassment after defying Benito Mussolini. While training educators in India during World War II, she was influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and India’s spiritual teachings to add peace education to her curriculum.
We’re inspired by Montessori’s bold actions to improve children’s lives, break barriers for women, and spread peace through education. |
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| Measuring the Return on Education Investments |
| Education is gaining traction among investors, but how do you calculate its impact? Impact Alpha has the highlights of a new study published in Nature that proposes a new framework to measure a meaningful “return on learning” from EdTech investments. The researchers suggest calculating an impact score across five key dimensions — efficacy, effectiveness, ethics, equity, and environment — empowering investors to drive change and create long-term societal value. |
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Nature Takes Root with Investors
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| Some big investors are doubling down on nature — not just to mitigate risk, but for the potential to generate long-term financial returns. A new report from Pollination shows that nearly all surveyed institutions plan to grow their exposure to nature-based investments. While barriers like limited data and investable opportunities remain, many investors are elevating nature from a niche interest to a key focus. |
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How Black-led Companies Are Transforming Education
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| We are seeing reports of a new wave of Black entrepreneurs bringing personal experience to the world of education, launching new technologies to reshape learning for students who are sometimes overlooked by traditional systems. From building community to offering coaching and tutoring, these five Black-owned companies aim to create better outcomes for diverse student populations. |
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| New Research: Women Founders Outperform Male Counterparts |
| Need another reason to bet on women? A new report from the Female Founders Fund finds that female-founded companies generate 78 cents of revenue for every dollar raised, compared to just 31 cents for startups founded by men. Women also consistently burn 15% less capital. Maybe this news will inspire more investors to take a second look at some of the decks coming across their desks. |
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Make a Difference Through Volunteering
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| From reducing stress to building career skills, donating your time to meaningful causes can boost your mental, physical, and financial wellbeing while helping others. Whether you're passionate about the environment, education, or disaster relief, there are countless ways to get involved. Check out this slideshow to discover six ways to give back, and you can also find volunteer opportunities near you by visiting sites like VolunteerMatch, Idealist, or Catchafire. |
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