Our Mission

Generation Schools Network increases access to equitable learning experiences by partnering with a diverse network of education stakeholders to ensure all students have the opportunity to thrive.

OUR VISION

A world where schools and communities work together to ensure every student realizes their full potential in school and beyond.

Equitable access and opportunity

Increased learner agency

Every student thriving

What does a network of education stakeholders look like?

We believe real student success happens when each level of the greater community is involved.

"[GSN] has done a great job organizing and implementing the principal induction program! [It has helped me] increase communication and reflection with my principals, thereby increasing opportunities to provide guidance and support to help them be as successful as possible."

Superintendent, Huerfano School District RE-1

Michael Moore

Our Values In Action

Trust builds relationships
Our staff of former educators allows us to lead with empathy and shared investment in our partnerships.
- Gold Seal of Transparency on Candid for last 5 years
- The majority of staff belong to the communities they serve
- 200+ years collectively working in schools
Innovation Requires Collaboration
We help like-minded groups convene to innovate around common challenges and find solutions together.
- Established the first regional model for college and career readiness in rural Colorado
- Manage an 81-district collaborative working together to solve rural Colorado's most pressing issues
- Two decades of experience in supporting turnaround leadership leveraging peer-to-peer connections
Change Demands Resourcefulness
We listen to what educators, students and communities need and curate resources and partnerships to meet those needs.
- Since 2021, GSN has supported the launch of 4 regional college/career pathways engaging hundreds of businesses and dozens of higher education institutions
- Provide concurrent enrollment classes for 11th and 12th graders in partnership with UNC to grow teacher pathways in Colorado
Equity Takes Courage
We address systemic barriers in pursuit of making education equitable, relevant, and accessible for all students.
- Championed legislation to give educational supports to students involved with the juvenile justice system
- Over a decade of creating equitable access by bringing resources and programs to far-reaching rural education spaces

Our History

2005

2007

2011

2015

2020

2023

TODAY

Generation Schools Network (GSN) Launched

Generation Schools Network (GSN) launched in 2005 with support from the Ford Foundation and an Echoing Green Prize. The focus was designing and implementing a school model that radically reorganized student time and teacher talent around a more cost-effective resource management structure. This facilitated overcoming traditional constraints to equitably meet student, teacher, and community needs (i.e., reduced class size, integrated curriculum, additional learning time, and college and career preparation).

Brooklyn Generation School (BGS) Launched

The work came to life in two urban turnaround schools— the first was in 2007 Brooklyn, NY at Brooklyn Generation School (grades 9-12).

At Brooklyn Generation School, the first three graduating classes (2011, 2012, 2013) dramatically increased the graduation rate, doubling the percentage of students receiving a NY State Regents diploma with a 90% college acceptance rate. The model elements scaled to other schools in New York City’s Innovation Zone.

Expansion to Colorado

The second urban turnaround school was West Generation Academy (grades 6-12) in Denver, CO.

At West Generation Academy (WGA) early results showed 76% of juniors earned college credit, 1.5 years growth in ELA, ranking second in Denver Public Schools’ student engagement index, and justice referrals dropping from 13% to 2%. WGA was the first ever turnaround replacement school in the State of Colorado with an innovation plan. It was approved by the Denver School Board with a 7 – 0 vote.

Transition to Service Offerings & Launching the CREC

After a decade of turnaround work, GSN made a strategic shift from starting turnaround replacement schools to coming alongside existing schools struggling to achieve desired outcomes and becoming an approved improvement provider in several states. Through partnership, GSN came alongside schools and districts helping them to implement innovative and evidence-based strategies to better fulfill their missions in the areas of Leadership & Improvement, Health & Wellness, Redesign & Innovation, and College & Career Readiness.

In 2015, GSN, with the help of Battelle for Kids, brought together key stakeholders in rural education to form the Colorado Rural Education Collaborative (CREC). The CREC’s purpose is to meet pressing needs of rural schools and districts who were often left out of conversations and were less likely to receive resources. Today, the CREC has over 80 member districts and more than 42 million has been raised to solve rural challenges.

Growth and Change

During the COVID pandemic, GSN adapted to offering more virtual supports for schools and districts including curriculum, coaching and professional development allowing for seamless hybrid support options. Two different organizations merged into GSN at this time bringing their valuable knowledge and resources: Empowering Education and Alternative Roadmap.

Expansion and Innovation

On-going innovation has seen GSN’s footprint grow substantially in the number of students (from 2,700 to 135,000 per year), schools (from 7 to 195 per year), and districts (from 2 to 70 per year) we're able to support each year.

In 2023, we wrapped up a 2-year study, supported by a grant from the Colorado Attorney General’s office, to connect with students who have been involved with the justice system, as well as educators and families, and collect meaningful data on school disruption and it's connection to persistent gaps in academic achievement for justice-engaged students. The results were compelling and our Justice Engaged Students - Colorado initiative was born.

Where Are We Now?

Today, GSN is a resilient women-led nonprofit with a diverse board and leadership team of passionate and capable leaders from a myriad of cultures, professional disciplines, and community settings.

Our combined expertise ranges from the classroom, traditional and alternative school, district, educational agency, university, business, policy think tank, and grassroots activism.

We see each school as a living system reliant on sustainable partnerships to deal with change as they strive to meet their mission and create access, opportunity, and agency for all learners.