The Ganas Network 2023 Colorado Gives Day Campaign

We're calling on our families, friends, and community to support transformational young leaders advancing the future of education!

At The Ganas Network - a professional development network for charter school alumni engaged in communty - your gift plays a critical role in equipping diverse early-career professionals with the skills and community to thrive while amplifying their voices to lead change toward a more equitable education system. 

A donation to The Ganas Network is an investment in the diverse young leaders we serve through our paid fellowship program, the education system, and our community at large. 

Learn more below, check out our website, or connect with our Executive Director at nicholas@ganasnetwork.org

THE PROBLEM:

Out of every 100 students who begin 9th grade in Colorado, only 24 will graduate from college. Furthermore, hiring managers and CEOs report that these graduates are underprepared to enter the professional world without the critical skills they need to launch their careers.

Ultimately, the disconnect between our education system and the workforce perpetuates the status quo by establishing a talent pipeline of young people whose skills don't align with today's careers.

Meanwhile, parents deserve to have the freedom to choose high-quality schools that fit their student’s unique needs.

Public charter schools that are publicly funded but independently run provide the opportunity to serve the unique needs of local communities. Studies confirm that charter schools deliver the programming, support, and results that families seek for their students.

At a time when shrinking budgets are forcing school districts to make difficult cuts - painting a bleak picture for public charter schools - we envision a world where charter school alumni leverage their collective genius to lead change and promote more equitable education systems.

OUR SOLUTION:

Our fellowship acts as a launchpad and accelerator for early-career leaders who might otherwise be marginalized by the traditional education system. We unlock the power of some of our brightest students to take on leadership roles in their communities and careers as they seek to address the greatest challenges of our time.

During the three-month fellowship, students participate in workshops designed to deliver some of the most important skills to advance their careers, such as personal branding and networking. They also join the conversation around the future of education and learn to leverage their stories to advocate for the young people following in their footsteps.

During the fellowship, we work with each fellow in a series of one-on-one coaching sessions to create and implement a strategic career plan that allows them to achieve their individual goals.

Finally, we re-invest $500 into each fellow to ensure our program remains equitable and demonstrate our commitment to their success. 

Upon graduation, as part of our network of public charter school alumni, fellows will have access to opportunities to participate in public actions to advance education policy, networking events, and additional career and community building sessions.

EARLY SUCCESS:

Since we were founded in 2020, we've served 116 fellows across 7 cohorts. We are proud to report that 94% of the young leaders we’ve served identify as people of color, and 90% of our fellows are first-generation college students. 

Our fellows live, work, and study in a plethora of fields. Their unique stories are the strongest testament to the success of the public charter schools that helped shape their development and propelled them to the leadership positions they hold today in their communities across the country. We invite you to learn more about each of our fellows here.

Many of our fellows have already sought further development to cultivate their power as advocates, participated in research initiatives, met with policy leaders, written op-eds, and worked with local education partners, lending us their wisdom to advance the future of education.

*The Ganas Network is a project of the Colorado Nonprofit Development Center.