Quill Named a Winner in the NewSchools Ignite ELL Challenge

NEW YORK, NY, 2016-Dec-02 — /EPR Network/ — Quill is proud to announce that they have been chosen as a winner of the NewSchools Ignite ELL Challenge, a funding competition created by NewSchools Venture Fund. While educational technology has become increasingly integrated into the classroom, there remains a deficit of high quality educational materials designed specifically for English Language Learners in a blended learning environment. The Ignite ELL Challenge addresses this need by supporting innovative solutions for English Language Learners.

Quill will receive a $100,000 grant from NewSchools and will work with the NewSchools Tools & Services team through a nine-month remote accelerator program. Furthermore, Quill will receive product feedback and advice from entrepreneurs, educators, and researchers. They will also conduct a research study with WestEd, a nonprofit that helps schools, districts, and states improve education through research, evaluation, and consulting. Quill is one of thirteen organizations awarded grant funding, along with educational technology leaders such as Newsela, Listenwise, and ThinkCERCA.

Educational technology products must address the unique needs of English Language Learners to bridge the gap between ELL students and their native English-speaking peers. It is estimated that students whose primary language is not English will make up 25% of the student population within the next ten years. Peter Gault, the Executive Director of Quill.org, said, “The majority of English Language Learners are low-income students; with the population projected to double over the next ten years, it’s critical that students and teachers have the tools they need to ensure that all students succeed.” Funding from the Ignite ELL Challenge will be used to build new writing tools and expand Quill’s library of ELL materials.

Quill currently provides over 200 free exercises aligned with the Common Core State Standards. Since launching in September of 2014, Quill has enabled 180,000 students to complete over 20 million questions, with 110,000 students attending low-income schools.

Press Contact: Peter Gault — hello@quill.org