Grow New Programs

What is the AERDF Community Garden for Inclusive R&D?

The AERDF Community Garden for Inclusive R&D (research and development) is a virtual community of passionate individuals committed to identifying intractable problems impacting PreK-12 education and developing promising opportunities to reshape education in the next 10-20 years. At AERDF, we run programs that aim to tackle teaching and learning challenges that disproportionately affect Black and Latino students, and students of all races experiencing poverty. There are many opportunities for you to get involved. We invite you to learn more about ways to join the work to address the most pervasive challenges in PreK-12 education.

Join our Virtual Community: Explore Opportunities to Get Involved

Please read below about four ways you can become involved by joining our virtual community and fill out the interest form to learn more.

• Ready to LEAD? Apply to be a future Program Director at AERDF and lead a fully funded 3-5 year program 
  • At AERDF, we know preparatory privilege limits who typically lead major initiatives in education. We aim to build a thriving community of people who want to engage in the engine of innovation that is education research and development, including people who can lead AERDF programs. In our community, we’ll provide coaching and resources to develop leaders with professional and/or lived experience connected to our priority communities.
• Got an IDEA? Submit a BRAVE, BOLD idea for a future program at AERDF
• • • If you’ve been thinking about an innovative solution or concept to help solve some of education’s most challenging problems but cannot lead a full program, we invite you to submit your idea for consideration in our program pipeline

• Want to CONNECT? Join a growing community of individuals and organizations involved in R&D in PreK-12 education
  • Participate in collaborative meetups, interactive working sessions and design-thinking workshops
  • Attend thought-leadership sessions with leading experts and researchers in education R&D

• Be in the KNOW: Stay informed of RFPs (requests for proposals), projects, and other R&D opportunities from AERDF

What Makes a Good Community Member?

• A strong passion for positive change
• Curiosity about education’s most intractable problems and unique solutions to address them
  
• Flexible thinking with the ability and desire to think outside their specialty, a commitment to continuous improvement and an unwavering appreciation for diverse views
  
• Values aligned with AERDF’s mission and  passion about our priority communities (Black and Latino students, and students of all races experiencing poverty)

Signing up for our virtual community will keep you informed on updates from AERDF, receive suggested pathways in our Community Garden of R&D, and have opportunities to share expertise and skills, receive tools and resources, and participate in virtual brainstorms and workshops.

Complete our interest form to tell us more about you and your interest in this work and receive more information on next steps.