Launch of a New Education Platform: Shaping Innovation and Leadership for the Future

NEW YORK - April 22, 2013 - PRLog -- On Saturday, March 16th, Education: Unplugged launched at American Flatbread in Tribeca, in lower Manhattan. Over 50 young professionals from across the city, within the private and public sectors, gathered for an intimate preview of Education: Unplugged, a new platform to bring awareness and access to innovative programs in education. The launch was introduced by featured guest, Nikhil Goyal, a 17 year old author and recipient of the 2013 Freedom Flame Award, who has been lauded as a future U.S. Secretary of Education. Nikhil expressed the dissatisfaction of today’s youth in the classroom, where students aren’t “learning anything that applies to what occurs in the world…I wondered, is this just happening to me? Are there other students around the world with similar sentiments as mine?” He gave invigorating reasons as to why youth should be at the table and have the ability to own their school experiences. To document his views, Nikhil wrote a book, One Size Does Not Fit All: A Student’s Assessment of School.

The event focused on leadership, and encouraged young professionals to play a role in social innovation, while standing up for New York City’s children. As a special guest, New York City Councilman, Robert Jackson, a candidate for Manhattan Borough President, shared his significant work in improving city education. Councilman Jackson has mentioned it is our obligation “to provide every student the opportunity to receive a sound, basic education.” (City & State, March 14, 2013) Whether it is through winning the CFE court judgment to fix inequitable New York State school funding or suing the state to prevent it from withholding $250 million due to the school evaluation conflict, Mr. Jackson has proven his efforts in improving opportunities for children. Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, who represents New York’s 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, also attended the launch, offering praise to Sophia James, the founder of Education: Unplugged, and Nikhil Goyal. Congresswoman Clarke has been a strong supporter of finding new ways to evaluate children’s education abilities and using more comprehensive approaches to student learning and school performance.

The launch event was sponsored by Creme Magazine, Women's Information Network (WIN-NYC), and Young, Professional & Politically Engaged.

The intentions of Education: Unplugged are to bring awareness and offer access to innovative programs in education, and to those that lead them; in addition to conferences, research and articles that add to professional development and knowledge building. The website will highlight areas of equity and access to educational opportunities as priorities for policymakers, educators and community leaders across the city and the nation. If you want to bring attention to a truly innovative program making a difference in the community, please contact Sophia James at info@sophiaejames.com, or call (347) 470-4576. For more information about Education: Unplugged, visit www.sophiaejames.com

About Sophia James
As an education consultant, with over five years’ experience of public service at the state and local level, Sophia James has helped guide significant initiatives and policies that address the coordination and efficiency of education and health services for children and families. As a 2008 Fellow with the Center for Women in Government & Civil Society, she recognized how policy can affect the lives of young people, and how it must be more responsive to their needs. She has also trained at the Women’s Campaign School at Yale University, a prestigious leadership program that seeks to increase the number and influence of women in elected and appointed office in the United States and around the globe.  Sophia, a native New Yorker, has a Master of Science in Educational Psychology from the School of Education, State University at Albany. She participates in numerous emerging leader networks for women and education.