Alabama Power and its foundation wanted to address education equity, provide improved learning with technology, and prepare a future tech workforce.
Develop a strategy and coalition of private and non-profit stakeholders.
Apple agreed to a large investment in the “Ed Farm,” which includes a year-long fellowship for K-12 teachers, a software development course for adult learners, and an innovative challenge-based learning experience for middle and high school students.
When Alabama Power and its foundation wanted to address education equity, provide improved learning with technology, and prepare a future tech workforce, they turned to Markstein to develop a strategy and coalition of private and non-profit stakeholders. Markstein identified the need and made the case for an investment from Apple’s Everyone Can Code program. We developed a plan and budget, and within two months, Apple agreed to a large investment in the Ed Farm, which includes a year-long fellowship for K-12 teachers, a software development course for adult learners, and an innovative challenge-based learning experience for middle and high school students. Apple CEO Tim Cook helped launch the initiative in an event that garnered robust earned media coverage. Other cities are now replicating the Ed Farm model.