This season is a time of reflection, the team at Ascend (formerly SkoolAide) is grateful for the connections we’ve made with our community of educators, mentors, teens, and those in the startup community. We’ve had the opportunity to learn and grow from each one of you.
Below are just a few of our favorite experiences, learnings, and opportunities from this year:
- Long-term Impact: Former SkoolAide user and current UNC-Chapel Hill junior Nelson Lopez reflected on how using SkoolAide three years ago still impacts how he manages his priorities, time, and short- and long-term goals.
- Whole Student: 200 students at Phillip O. Berry High School set goals this Fall, including saving money, improving classroom grades, and volunteering 50+ hours over the course of the semester.
- Design Thinking: Students at Mallard Creek high school created their own goal-setting app designs. One of our favorites: Ghoul Set.
- Inspired Ideas: We launched our first Girls Who Code pitch competition with a group of 25 engaged and excited future tech-prenuers!
- Creating Connections: Our Fall series of pitches with Pitch Breakfast, SoGal, and LearnLaunch created connections to so many like-minded innovators, investors, and supporters of our growth.
- Honorable Mentions: Being accepted into the Innovate Charlotte VMS program, and being recognized as a Charlotte Inno on Fire winner and a Big Pitch participant for Seed the South.
Each one of these opportunities was a chance for us to learn more about the people we serve, and to get bigger and better ideas on how we can continue to build a platform to empower the next generation.
Thank you, and have a happy holiday season!
-Reg, Christine, Ted, and Missi