Our History
The Essex County Learning Community (ECLC) was incubated in 2018 through the Reimagine Learning Fund, a multi-pronged effort of New Profit, a national venture philanthropy firm based in Boston. It is funded by the Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation. The Tower Foundation supports social service and educational efforts in Buffalo, NY, where the Foundation is headquartered, and in two geographic regions in Massachusetts—Cape Cod and the Islands, and Essex County.
The concept of a learning community specifically targeted to better meet the diverse assets and learning needs of all students, especially those whom the general education system has not typically served well, originated within one branch of Reimagine Learning that was dedicated to effecting change in school districts in Essex County. One of our core insights was that the silos of general education and special education, though certainly well-intended, were not serving anyone well in a 21st century system designed to prepare young people for a complex and rapidly-changing world. All educators, we realized, needed to harness a much wider repertoire of mindsets, strategies, and tools in order to reach all students.
The concept of a learning community specifically targeted to better meet the diverse assets and learning needs of all students, especially those whom the general education system has not typically served well, originated within one branch of Reimagine Learning that was dedicated to effecting change in school districts in Essex County. One of our core insights was that the silos of general education and special education, though certainly well-intended, were not serving anyone well in a 21st century system designed to prepare young people for a complex and rapidly-changing world. All educators, we realized, needed to harness a much wider repertoire of mindsets, strategies, and tools in order to reach all students.
At the same time, we became aware of the fact that the suburban districts comprising much of Essex County, like so many other suburban districts across the country, are facing major economic and demographic shifts that also require new mindsets, strategies and tools. The impact of these societal shifts on public education has not yet been widely recognized in the field, in public conversation or in the philanthropic community.
The Essex County Learning Community was founded to address these challenges. School districts in Essex County responded to an initial Request for Proposal. Six school districts were selected for the first cohort. A second cohort launched in January 2020. ECLC also convened a “faculty” of national experts who were—and continue to be--part of the design team.
After the initial incubation period, the Essex County Learning Community became an independent project, funded by the Tower Foundation and directed by Full Frame Communications, LLC. From 2018 through 2021, the Center for Collaborative Education joined with us as ECLC's implementation partner. ECLC continues to work with an array of partner organizations, and our current collaborations include: the National Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity (SEED) Project, EdTogether, Transcend Education, and more.
The Essex County Learning Community was founded to address these challenges. School districts in Essex County responded to an initial Request for Proposal. Six school districts were selected for the first cohort. A second cohort launched in January 2020. ECLC also convened a “faculty” of national experts who were—and continue to be--part of the design team.
After the initial incubation period, the Essex County Learning Community became an independent project, funded by the Tower Foundation and directed by Full Frame Communications, LLC. From 2018 through 2021, the Center for Collaborative Education joined with us as ECLC's implementation partner. ECLC continues to work with an array of partner organizations, and our current collaborations include: the National Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity (SEED) Project, EdTogether, Transcend Education, and more.
