54: Bridging the Opportunity Gap with Paula Fynboh

Paula Fynboh has extensive nonprofit leadership, program development, and equity and social justice experience at the local, national, and international level. Paula has studied and practiced social change extensively and believes that real and sustainable change happens when people come together at the grassroots and community level around seemingly simple, yet powerful actions that shift the narrative and culture of what is acceptable. 

Paula currently serves as the Executive Director for Aspire! Afterschool Learning, which provides high-quality, holistic, academic enrichment to students most impacted by the educational opportunity gap in Arlington, VA. 

Prior to joining Aspire!, Paula developed international community engagement strategies across three continents with a focus on elevating the voices of youth and women in shaping their community and impacting education outcomes. Paula also developed, led, and scaled Sandy Hook Promise’s school safety and violence prevention strategy, training and engaging schools and youth across the country and growing the organization from a startup organization into a nationally recognized nonprofit. Her accomplishments included developing and delivering programs with an anti-racist and equity lens and facilitating a merger to incorporate SAVE Promise Clubs into Sandy Hook Promise’s framework, greatly expanding program delivery, youth engagement, and sustainability. 

Paula holds a Masters in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, a BS in Family Social Science from the University of Minnesota, and a Fellowship from the Billions Institute for Social Change Leaders.

Join us for conversation about how we can stop focusing on only the 60% of students and start supporting all students holistically.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE COVER:

• How volunteering at a homeless shelter helped shape Paula’s view of the world and the work she does at Aspire!
• Supporting all kinds of students so they are not sidelined and can reach their full potential
• Why we need to stop making kids adapt to school and what we should do instead 
• Rejecting the idea that meeting the needs of the majority is enough 
• Which values we should be focusing on and how they relate to the resources we choose
• Asking important questions and centering students
• Making small changes to create a ripple effect within the education system
• Why we need to be looking at students in a holistic way

RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Connect with Paula on LinkedIn 
• Visit aspireafterschool.org to learn more about how they are helping young people fulfill their potential
• Learn more about Rebel Educator, explore our professional development opportunities for educators and students, sign up for a  webinar and check out our project library
• Visit us at UP Academy to learn more about our personalized and inclusive learning environment
• Connect with Tanya and UP Academy on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram and learn more about her journey here

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MORE ABOUT THE REBEL EDUCATOR PODCAST:

In each episode of the Rebel Educator podcast, I deconstruct world-class educators, students, and thought leaders in education to extract the tactics, tools, and routines that you can use as teachers and parents. Join me as we discuss how to shift the classroom, the learning environment, the mindset, and the pedagogy, to resist tradition, reignite wonder, and re-imagine the future of education.

This podcast is dedicated to all of the educators who work thankless hours to make our next generation the best it can be.  It was designed to begin conversations on how we can redesign education for the future of work and the success of our students.  It is meant for teachers, students, administrators, homeschoolers and anyone who interacts with and teaches youth.

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• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
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🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.