Reach for the Upside
An initiative to help Northern California public school communities
Reach for the Upside includes
31 school districts across 16 Northern California counties
442,000 underserved students, 66% BIPOC
collaboration includes teachers, students, admin and school community
Reach for the Upside is an initiative funded by Genentech and the Genentech Foundation to help Northern California public school districts and their community partners navigate the constraints of the COVID-19 era and identify opportunities to advance student-centered learning, equity, and the well-being of students, teachers, and families in this time.
Through a two-month design sprint with the Stanford d.school’s K12 Lab, districts and their community partners developed and workshopped innovative ideas, which they are now receiving funding and coaching support to bring to their communities.
Design Teams and Topics
Creating personalized learning strategies and mentor relationships to build connection with disengaged learners
Developing strategies to move families out of intergenerational poverty
Increasing the number of teachers who reflect the ethnicities and/or experiences of the students they teach
Creating accelerated and subsidized credentialing pathways to good jobs in local industries
Rethinking special education for equity.
Designing a systems approach to building equity into the educational system and the community
Developing career technical pathways for small rural high school districts
Developing a community-centered and multi-partner approach to helping unhoused students
Building regional capacity for maker career development, working with K-12 students and educators in the Central Valley