We Can Learn

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Learning should know no limits or bounds.
Together, we can learn.

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FY2021 Annual Report

We Can Learn set a goal of 10 grant recipients impacting 10,000 learners over the next four years.

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Our Mission

Vision

Learning should know no limits or bounds. Together, we can learn.

Mission

We stand with you, committed to making a meaningful impact in education, through philanthropic giving and service, that supports equitable and innovative learning opportunities.

Bottom Quote

"Education changes a student’s life and can have a positive impact for generations to come. It’s about giving a chance to one student at a time – that’s what We Can Learn is about. "

Michelle Geddes, Chairwoman

Partnerships

Grantees

We Can Learn partners with organizations that have a demonstrated dedication to creating equitable educational opportunities for ALL students and are committed to closing the achievement gap.

Alight works with its partners and constituencies to provide opportunities to refugees, displaced people and host communities. Alight helps people survive conflict and rebuild lives of dignity, health, security and self-sufficiency. Alight is committed to the delivery of programs ensure measurable quality and lasting impact for the people they serve.

Estella’s Brilliant Bus provides a mobile instructional technology and training system that creates opportunities for self-paced educational learning. They employ this primarily in under served and under resourced areas.

Pencils of Promise is a global community that believes everyone deserves access to quality education. They are reshaping the landscape of education guided by their 100% promise.

Grant Opportunities

Apply for a Software Grant

We Can Learn, in conjunction with its parent company Edmentum, provides grants of software to nonprofit non-school groups across the United States serving students at high risk.

If you are interested in applying, please start by sending an email to grants@wecanlearn.org for more detailed information and application requirements.

To be considered as a recipient for a We Can Learn technology grant, the organization submitted must be recognized as a U.S. non-profit organization. If you have any questions about the submission process, please email info@wecanlearn.org.

Our Board

Our Board

We are advocates who believe in the power of education. We lend our time to fight for every learner’s right to premium quality educational resources. Our passion fuels the need to improve the educational conditions of our most neglected, forgotten, and underestimated learners.

The We Can Learn board consists of 15 members and is led by our Chairman, Marcus Lingenfelter.

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One

Marcus joined Edmentum in 2018 as Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships. Marcus previously served as Senior Vice President of advancement for the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) – the non-profit established for the purpose of dramatically improving math and science educational outcomes for the country. Additionally he served two international educational associations: The College Board and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Marcus has two decades of administrative experience in postsecondary education including campus roles at the University of Virginia and Penn State University along with cabinet-level positions at Widener University and Harrisburg University of Science and Technology.

Marcus’ non-profit and governmental board experience includes current service as Vice Chairman of the East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania Council of Trustees, as well as past president and current executive committee member of the Pennsylvania Association of Councils of Trustees (PACT). Previously he served on the boards of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Foundation, East Stroudsburg University Alumni Association, Leadership Philadelphia, Delaware County Historical Society, and Chester Housing Authority. A native of Pennsylvania, Marcus enlisted in the United States Marine Corps after high school and later went on to earn a B.S. with honors from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. He also earned a M.Ed. and completed all doctoral coursework in higher education from The Pennsylvania State University, as well as the Harvard Institute for Educational Management (IEM).

My Why

“I consider education to be essential to solving the world's most intractable challenges. Education is also the fundamental element critical to individual and community prosperity. Having personally experienced the transformative and sustained impact of education, I have dedicated myself and my professional career to realizing universal, lifelong, high quality educational opportunities and successful outcomes."

Marcus Lingenfelter
Chairman

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With 20+ years of experience in the technology industry, Michelle brings a wealth of experience to the table. She started her career as a customer support manager, partnering with school districts nationwide to support their administration and student needs. In time, she transitioned to training, where she developed resources to help employees learn about new programs and offerings to accurately meet their customers’ needs. Currently, she leads a team of account managers dedicated to their district partners to drive student achievement and promote a passion for lifelong learning.

My Why

My mother and husband are both lifelong math teachers, between the two of them they have worked in rural, private, urban and suburban school districts. Currently my mother is a rural educator and my husband is in an urban school and I hear about the work they do in their classrooms every single day to support student learning, and the challenges they face with funding, lack of resources, and parental engagement are unfathomable with the expectations they have put on them.

Watching my own children’s experience over the years, they are now 20 and 12, in a district that provides for their students all the resources they could want and comparing that to the experience my mother and husband have every day, drives my passion to support students, no matter where they live, find their desire to be a lifelong learner because that is what will continue to drive creativity and innovation in our society to drive us forward.

Michelle Geddes
Advisory Chairwoman

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Andrea is an accomplished human resources leader who translates business strategy into talent and organizational plans that drive capability and performance. She brings nearly 20 years of experience as a recruiter, business partner, manager in performance and talent management, leader in organizational design, and vice president of human resources to her role at Edmentum. She has also been able to make tremendous impact in diverse communities through diversity, equity, inclusion initiatives, and employee resource groups.

Andrea's transparency and ability to build relationships across organizations at every level have been keys to her success. She earned her MBA and Bachelor of Science from the University of Phoenix and organizational design certification through Cornell ILR. She is a frequent speaker for community workshops that help individuals prepare to enter the workforce, as well as offer support to teenage motherhood organizations.

My Why

"Education literally changed my life’s trajectory. I was a teen mom and a high school dropout. I went back and finished high school by earning my GED, and years later went to college, worked hard, and earned my bachelor’s degree and MBA. The access to education regardless of socioeconomics creates opportunities and future leaders."

Andrea Walton
Executive Sponsor

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Ashlee is a lifelong learner who is passionate about the power of education. She is truly inspired by the great work that teachers do every day in schools and classrooms all over the world and is committed to making a difference in the lives of all kids. Ashlee joined the Study Island marketing organization in 2007 and later the OrgSync team in 2013. She rejoined Edmentum in 2015, and currently serves as marketing director. Her professional background includes over 11 years of marketing experience in K-12 and higher education edtech organizations. Ashlee earned a BA and MBA from Southern Methodist University. In addition and fueled by a desire to learn more about educational foundations and pedagogy, she also earned an MS in early childhood studies from the University of North Texas.

Ashlee Tatum-Eckley
Director of Communications

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Julie Henderson
Treasurer

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Kacy McClean has over 20 years of experience in the field of education including involvement in almost every aspect of K-12 and adult education. From an elementary school teacher to Director of Education for Sylvan Learning Centers to consulting in various school systems on technical learning, she has been dedicated to improving opportunities for youth in learning. She is currently an Educational Partnership Manager for Edmentum, where she has worked for more than 10 years in roles spanning services, support, and sales. Within the adult education arena, she has managed technical curriculum nationally and internationally for organizations like CompUSA, InfoSource, and others. She has also spoken and written on the topics of technical training and adult education nationally. She has worked with nonprofit organizations like Red Cross, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, and the Center for Performing Arts. Kacy earned a BS in Education from Boston University and an MBA from Rollins College.

My Why

Seeing the "light bulb" go off in a child or an adult is something that I absolutely love. I grew up with parents that always instilled the importance of learning and my grandparents were educators. I believe that learning is the key to opening doors of opportunity and that learning is always an ongoing journey. I love that my work at We Can Learn allows me to be a part of helping students and teachers of all kinds from all places to learn with different tools, in different ways, so that they can find their version of success in this world!

Kacy McClean
Secretary

our board small pt deux

Deana Jean
Brandon Logan
Joseph Durand
Larry Mckenzie
Brianna Pyka
Madison Michell
Laura Porter Jones
Michelle Barrett
Julie Donick

Top Quote

“On the other side of everything we do is a student and a teacher. On the other side of every decision we make, every process we build and implement and the programs we launch, we have a heavy responsibility to do right for education.”

Jamie Candee, Edmentum CEO

Contact Us

Contact Us

952-832-1512

info@wecanlearn.org

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