Pearson Foundation Partners with the NEA Foundation to help students develop 21st Century Skills

Through a robust and growing partnership with the NEA Foundation, the Pearson Foundation has enriched curricula, teaching capacity, and academic and social experiences of thousands of students and teachers across the country.

Through the Pearson Foundation’s Digital Arts Alliance (DAA) initiative, powerful student-scripted and produced videos tell the stories of students’ lives as well as stories of their schools and of the communities in which they live. The NEA Foundation’s partnership with the Pearson Foundation is the perfect mechanism for not only helping students develop 21st Century skills through technology and video production, but to bring to life students' voices.

Joint NEA Foundation/Pearson Foundation DAA projects have been implemented in Chattanooga, TN, Biloxi, MS, Bogalusa LA, and rural Ohio, with new sites to be selected each year. The projects entail Student Residencies that develop the technical and practical skills among students, as well as Educator Residencies that similarly develop teachers’ ability to foster these skills in the classroom.

The Pearson Foundation also provides digital arts training for The NEA Foundation's Awards for Teaching Excellence recipients.  Students and teachers from each of the finalists' schools receive training and create student-scripted videos to tell the story of the professional lives and impact of these educators. These videos are premiered at the Salute to Excellence in Education Gala.

"We were intrigued by the opportunity to integrate students’ voices into our awards program, which ultimately benefits them by recognizing and rewarding excellence in teaching," said NEA Foundation CEO & President Harriet Sanford, in a release promoting the videos. "Through the generosity of the Pearson Foundation, which is providing equipment and training, teams of students and teachers have created multi-media video presentations explaining why they think their teacher should receive the top award. With these videos, students are now becoming a part of our awards program, and through their creation, they are gaining important 21st century skills."

The videos have been reported on in print and broadcast media coverage of the education awards.

Through this partnership with the NEA Foundation, the Pearson Foundation extends its commitment to education by partnering with leading nonprofit, civic, and business organizations to provide financial, organizational, and publishing assistance across the globe. More information on the Pearson Foundation can be found at www.pearsonfoundation.org.

Watch the videos produced through this partnership for the 2010 Gala