I still have a dream | Why I am Ruthless for Educational Equity

"I wish the opportunity to build and create was available to everyone. How different would our national community be, and our world be, if everyone had their chance to contribute their genius to the greater world?"

fellow highlightsVincent Cobb IIJanuary 15, 2018ruthlessforgood, mlk2018, vince, vincent, the fellowship for bmec, ruthless for good, evaluatorComment

School = Startup. How Camelback Ventures helped 3 School Founders (and their best advice)

Three Camelback Fellows share how the Fellowship shaped both them as a person, including overcoming imposter syndrome, and their organization. They also share their best advice (and encouragement) for underrepresented school founders.

fellow highlightsCamelback VenturesJanuary 11, 2018jacob, charla, hattie, piloted, crete, school, ruthless for great schools 1, ruthless for good, app2020Comment

Miami-Dade: 4th largest school district, 92% students of color. Why aren't more people talking about it?

"In 2017, I did 1:1s with over 400 people in Miami. Parents, teachers, community members -- everyone is on the same page: we all agree the system here is broken." Yannell Selman reflects on her identity as a Latinx entrepreneur, teacher, and community organizer and her path to the Camelback Fellowship.

What defines a Camelback Fellow?

I started this blog post by trying to write an analysis of our rubric to share, but as I drafted, it became a reflection on the shared values of not just our organization, but of the amazing Fellows I have had the honor of supporting with my work at Camelback. If these observations speak to you, I hope you consider applying to the Camelback Fellowship.

perspectivesGuest UserJanuary 3, 2018ruthless for good, evaluator, applyfitComment

The system was not made to support students of color. So I made a school that did

Jonathan Johnson began his journey to founding a school when one of his students died tragically in a drug deal. He resolved to create an innovative school that provides pathways to financial freedom. The school opened its doors in August to its first class of 9th-graders, mostly of color. After their first semester, Jonathan shares Rooted's early successes, the most inspiring moment of his career so far, and advice for aspiring school founders.

How this filmmaker uses superheroes to teach media misrepresentation

In college, Tony Weaver, Jr. filled up notebooks with scripts, but no one on campus would make his films that dealt with race and identity. Today, he's teaching a multimedia literacy curriculum across the country -- so how did he get from A to B? Check out this interview to find out.

fellow highlightsCamelback VenturesDecember 12, 2017ruthlessforgood, tony, weird enough, fellow written, ruthless for goodComment

I gave a student his third suspension; what he said next changed my life

Tyler Brewster was the Dean of Discipline for a school in her childhood neighborhood. After 10 years in education, she thought she knew what her role was in education. One day, she met with a student who had already received a few suspensions. The conversation they had changed her life forever.

fellow highlightsTyler BrewsterDecember 4, 2017tyler, peer connect, ruthless for good, ruthlessforgood, education trackComment

Why I Must Be Ruthless for Good

"Ruthlessness has the implication and inherent meanings of aggressive intensity, unyielding pursuit of an end. What if we took that same ruthlessness and put it towards the pursuit of equity in our country?" Camelback launches our manifesto, Ruthless for Good, and Aaron shares why this work for him is personal.

Fighting for Joy When Poverty is Fighting Against You

"Poverty is knowing that if you don’t make it out, you will get stuck there. It’s knowing you will be stuck either working the farm, in a restaurant, a nursing home, or a school your whole life. Which wouldn’t seem so awful, if almost everyone you knew didn’t hate it."

perspectivesTa'mara HillSeptember 7, 2017ruthless for good Comment

Getting More Entrepreneurs of Color in the Room with Jerelyn Rodriguez

"To any social enterprise POC or women: if you’re looking for a safe space, a team, and a support system that understands exactly what you’re trying to do and the problems you’re trying to solve, you won’t find something like what Camelback can do anywhere else."

fellow highlightsCamelback VenturesDecember 9, 2016fellow written, jerelyn, ruthless for goodComment