Black History Month and Valentine’s Day: February is a perfect time to get students engaged by giving them the opportunity to do social justice and equality projects that a have an impact. These types of projects help our students deal critically and logically with complex and subjective information.
Rose for black history month

Black History & Valentine’s Day

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I remember both the excitement and anxiety of Valentine’s Day at school, from kindergarten through high school. In elementary grades, watching my schoolmates loading the enormous heart-decorated box and wondering how many were for me. At the end of the day red, pink, and white envelopes were dropped on my desk, I wondered if I would get more or less than those seated around me –  who were likely feeling the same thoughts. Or in high school, perseverating on the oh-so-important invitation to the Valentine’s Day dance. And what does that have to do with Black history?

What were we really celebrating? A metric of popularity? It seems rather shallow in our current times. How about this February celebrating love for humanity? Social justice, equality and Black history have become a vital student issue. While we distance-learned, the names George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery entered our students’ world. And it awakened social justice not just for students of color but for all students. February is a perfect time to get them engaged in Black History project based learning by allowing them to do social justice and equality projects that actually can have an impact on their world – for the love of humanity!

These types of projects help our students deal critically and logically with complex and subjective information. They build their ability to weigh the evidence and ponder questions from multiple sides. They summon reasoning about being human and learning to ask questions that can be life, community, or world-changing. They help us live together more peaceably and lovingly…real hearts, not paper!

Consider these options in creating racial justice, equality and Black history project based learning:

So, this year, never mind the paper hearts. Help your students understand what might be making or breaking the real ones.

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Bill Mortimore

CEO, Board Member, and Lead Investor
Bill Mortimore, CEO, Foundry

A self-described entrepreneur, Bill Mortimore is Foundry’s CEO, Board Member, and Lead Investor. Bill is committed to transforming education, so every student has the 21st Century skills for work and life. For the past decade, he has focused on creating the technology that makes Deeper Learning possible and equitably accessible.  

Having been the founder and CEO of Merge Healthcare (acquired by IBM), where his technology was pivotal in getting physicians to switch from reading radiological films to digital viewing, leading to more accurate diagnoses. Bill leveraged that unique perspective and passion to transform traditional classroom education into Deeper Learning, where students learn 21st Century skills such as critical thinking, communication, creativity, problem-solving, perseverance, collaboration, information literacy, technology skills, and digital literacy.

Bob Sanders

Chief Sales Officer

Bob Sanders, Chief Sales Officer of Foundry

Bob Sanders is here to educate our prospective customers and ensure that Foundry is the right solution for them. Bob is a sales leader with 25 years of experience helping educational clients thrive by providing a solution to their problems, an answer to their needs, and a pathway to their goals.

In his work, Bob is consultative in his approach, asks astute questions, and is a great listener. He easily gains trust and builds relationships and has an easy knack for conversation.

We need more Bobs in the world. We hope you have some in yours.

Beth Frost-Johnson

Chief Marketing Officer

Beth Frost-Johnson, Foundry Chief Marketing Officer

Combine strategy, knowledge, creativity, and fun and you have Beth Frost-Johnson. Beth takes on challenging responsibilities such as teaching the educational marketplace what Deeper Learning, Competency-based Learning, Standards-based learning, and Project-based learning are all about.

Prior to Foundry, Beth was Chief Marketing Strategist at Merge Healthcare, where she launched the first radiological software that could be purchased via eCommerce. It became the #1 radiology viewing software in the world, used in over 70 countries. As a consultant to entrepreneurs, Beth has helped 40+ companies to achieve their preferred exit strategies.

Ask Beth for her Spaghetti Sauce recipe. She won’t give it to you.

Scott Veech

Chief Financial Officer

Scott Veech, Chief Financial Officer of Foundry

Scott is passionate about growing Foundry where he partners with Foundry’s business leaders to build metrics to better understand the business drivers and to grow profits organically or through acquisition.

Among his favorite work-related pastimes are capital raising, financing growth initiatives, implementing a flexible budgeting process, financial planning; ensuring the right tax strategies; investor presentations Cost cutting, and everything else that involves numbers. Scott is masterful, professional, and skillful, and always knows how to kindly ask the right questions at the right time.

Camille Mortimore

Chief Learning Officer

Camille Mortimore, Ph.D., Chief Learning Officer of Foundry

Dr. Mortimore is a pioneer and leader in personalized, learner-centered learning, as well as administrative leadership, organizational development, and change management.  She believes that every student has the right to take ownership of his/her education and deserves to be fully engaged in it, with teachers and mentors being their guides.

Camille was the Founder and Head Learner of an expeditionary, project-based public charter school in Milwaukee’s central city. She has served as superintendent and principal for more than two decades and has extensive experience as an elementary, middle, and high school teacher, parent educator, corporate and higher education instructor, and consultant.

She is passionate about transforming education, and her professional values can be summed up as follows: Educational Equity; Teacher Value and Worth; and Uncapped Student Potential. Camille has earned a Ph.D. in Education Policy and Leadership and an M.Ed.in Administration and Supervision from Marquette University.

Anton van Kimmenade

Chief Technology Officer

Anton Van Kimmenade, Foundry Chief Architect

Mr. van Kimmenade is responsible for overseeing Foundry’s product strategy and development.  His primary goal is to make Deeper Learning accessible from anywhere at any time and to be intuitive in its use. Anton has been a 9-year investor in Foundry. Prior to that, he was chief software architect and development leader for 13 years as a senior technology executive at Merge Healthcare, where he established Merge’s European branch. Anton also was a member of Philips Medical systems in Europe and in the U.S., where he directed QA and software management.

He strongly believes that there is one way to develop technological solutions – the RIGHT way.