Kat Crawford: "I am changing the landscape of how students learn in a secure setting."
February 08, 2017
This month, ECMC Foundation asked professionals in the education field to share what they love about their work. This spotlight features Kat Crawford, Director of Technology Solutions at the Center for Education Excellence and Alternative Settings (CEEAS).
My mission is to remove the barriers that prevent access to technology tools for students in alternative schools across America. As the Director of Technology Solutions at The Center for Educational Excellence in Alternative Settings, I work to improve education for students in juvenile justice facility schools.
For the past three years, I have worked to support technology integration and blended learning in 16 states as a part of a CEEAS program called Unjammed. This program cultivates a blended learning environment where students engage with makerspace tools, coding and digital citizenship. Students are flourishing in classrooms where they launch weather balloons, teach math with drones, host a daily news program and explore circuits with Little Bits.
I love what I do because I am changing the landscape of how students learn in a secure setting. I am passionate about transforming the classroom to best suit all types of learners. When I was a student, I was unable to fully appreciate my creative abilities because of the structure of my school. I am fortunate that I have found a job that fuels my creativity. Students in secure schools deserve an education that explores all facets of learning and gives them access to the best tools to prepare them for the future. I am proud of the impact of my work!
The Center for Education Excellence and Alternative Settings is a grantee partner of ECMC Foundation. In 2016, we provided a grant to its program Unjammed 3.0, which launched in 2014. Funding from our Foundation supports the program's expansion and data collection efforts.