
University of Washington
Read the proposal that we shared with the University of Washington, one of the world’s leading public universities, to execute Bonds of Union’s vision for the future of teaching, learning, and research in higher education.
Overview | K-12 Education | Ascend Initiative
Ascend proposes the novel introduction of a 1:1, individualized teaching and learning model, designed to improve mathematics and social-emotional outcomes for high-need students, that is: (a) implemented in an innovative, socio-technical learning environment within the school building; (b) integrated into the school day and school environment; and delivered by a new, highly-trained category of professionals called Learning Coaches (LCs), with the capacity to be delivered flexibly through in-person, remote, and/or hybrid sessions.
Define the Problem
Before COVID-19 pandemic, we were seeing steady improvement in education outcomes nationally. The challenge has been that these improvements not been amount the roughly bottom 20-25% of achievers in our public school system. This is the lowest achieving, highest need student populations that has been beyond the capacity of large, bureaucratic districts and our most talented, effective teachers to reach systematically.
This represented a an ideal area of focus for Bonds of Union because________
We set out to build a talented team of cross sector experts, develop a transformative solution that would take us beyond the state of the art, and can reach the level of scale needed to have the level of impact nationally.
DEVELOP BREAKTHROUGH INNOVaTiON
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
A key innovation is the development of this new category of professional in the school building that we have called the learning coach. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
We invision a school experience that is not defined by the traditional classroom experience where students move 20-25 cohorts from one classroom to another throughout the day. We envision a school experience that has a ___________.
IMPLEMENT
We shared with UW leadership our vision of a future of higher education that is oriented around a given problem, where research is focused on generating new, breakthrough innovations to critical challenges. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Academic | Teaching & Learning
We shared with UW leadership our vision of a future of higher education that is oriented around a given problem, where research is focused on generating new, breakthrough innovations to critical challenges. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Read the proposal that we shared with the University of Washington, one of the world’s leading public universities, to execute Bonds of Union’s vision for the future of teaching, learning, and research in higher education.

Learn about how we are leveraging our vision to support ASU, a leader in higher education innovation, as it implements a pioneering model for teaching and learning and empowers students and faculty to solve complex, interdisciplinary challenges.

Learn about our collaboration with the University of Cincinnati in Ascend, our initial pilot initiative and how we leveraged our broader vision for the future of teaching, learning, and research in higher education.
Do you want to get involved, share an idea, or just learn more about our efforts? We want to hear from you!
We build cross-sector teams in regions across the country that generate breakthrough innovations to solve critical challenges. Learn more about our innovative approach and process.
We aim to build a national R&D infrastructure across all regions of the U.S. to solve the challenges that threaten the continued health and prosperity of our democratic republic.
Alula has dedicated his life to renewing hope and prosperity in marginalized communities in the U.S. Prior to founding Bonds of Union, Alula served as Director of Special Initiatives and Special Assistant in the Office of Innovation & Improvement at the U.S. Department of Education. In this role, Alula helped to oversee the design and implementation of competitive programs such as the Investing in Innovation Fund (i3) and Promise Neighborhoods, and closely advised the Assistant Deputy Secretary of Innovation & Improvement on matters of policy and R&D. Previously, he was the Founder and Executive Director of the UW Dream Project, a Seattle-based college access and retention program for low-income and first-generation high school students. Alula received a B.A. in English Literature and Political Science from the University of Washington, an MPhil in Politics, Development, and Democratic Education from the University of Cambridge, and a J.D. from Yale Law School.
Approach
Process
R&D Engine
Ascend Initiative
Regional Efforts
Ohio valley Pilot
Higher Education
Arizona State University
University of Cincinnati
University of Washington
Insights