Get Schooled

Get Schooled
Name	Get Schooled
Type	Nonprofit organization
Founded	2013
Founder	Mike Smith (executive), Viacom, College Board
Location	United States
Area served	United States
Focus	Youth engagement, college access, career readiness
Key people	Mike Smith, ViacomCBS, Billie Eilish, Rihanna

Get Schooled is a U.S.-based nonprofit initiative focused on improving high school graduation, college enrollment, and career readiness among adolescents. The initiative was launched through partnerships among media companies, philanthropic organizations, and educational institutions to leverage celebrity influence, research-based interventions, and digital tools for student engagement. It operates national campaigns, incentives, and collaborations with schools, districts, and postsecondary organizations.

History

Get Schooled emerged in the early 2010s amid national attention to dropout rates and college access debates involving U.S. Department of Education, Common Core State Standards Initiative, and data from the National Center for Education Statistics. Its formation followed cross-sector collaborations similar to initiatives by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lumina Foundation, and Carnegie Corporation of New York that funded college-access programs. Early high-profile partners included Viacom, the College Board, and media figures who had previously engaged in campaigns with Obama administration education advisers and nonprofit coalitions such as Education Trust and America's Promise Alliance. The initiative expanded during debates around the Higher Education Act reauthorizations and the rise of digital learning platforms like Khan Academy.

Mission and Programs

The stated mission emphasizes increasing high school completion, promoting college affordability, and connecting students with career pathways aligned with labor-market needs highlighted by reports from Bureau of Labor Statistics and Pew Research Center. Programs have included incentive-based contests, scholarship navigation tools, text-message campaigns, and partnerships with college-prep organizations such as ACT, College Board, and local community colleges. Initiatives drew on behavioral insights from research institutions including Harvard Graduate School of Education, Stanford University Graduate School of Education, and Annenberg Institute for School Reform. Pilot programs coordinated with large urban districts such as Chicago Public Schools, Los Angeles Unified School District, and New York City Department of Education. Content and campaigns often included collaborations with artists and entertainers who had previously worked with organizations like UNICEF, Save the Children, and Rock the Vote on youth engagement.

Partnerships and Funding

Funding and partnerships involved media conglomerates, foundations, and corporate sponsors. Major collaborators included ViacomCBS, philanthropic funders akin to Ford Foundation and Carnegie Corporation of New York, and education-service providers such as Naviance and Common Application. Celebrity partnerships echoed alliances with figures from music and film industries who had engaged in philanthropic education work similar to Beyoncé, Jay-Z, LeBron James, Taylor Swift, and Oprah Winfrey in other campaigns. Get Schooled's funding model resembled mixed-finance approaches used by initiatives backed by Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and The Rockefeller Foundation, combining unrestricted grants, in-kind media promotion from networks, and earned revenue through sponsored events.

Impact and Evaluation

Evaluation efforts referenced quantitative metrics common to college-access programs: high school graduation rates tracked by National Center for Education Statistics, FAFSA completion statistics overseen by U.S. Department of Education, and college-enrollment data reported by Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. External researchers from institutions like Columbia University Teachers College and Johns Hopkins University have been cited in assessments of digital outreach and incentive-based interventions. Impact claims included increased FAFSA filing, higher rates of college applications in participating cohorts, and elevated student engagement during media campaigns. Independent evaluations drew comparisons to results reported by initiatives such as TRIO, Gates Millennium Scholars Program, and Upward Bound while noting challenges documented in literature from RAND Corporation and Brookings Institution regarding sustainability and attribution.

Media and Public Engagement

Public engagement strategies leveraged broadcast and social-media platforms through partners including MTV, VH1, and other properties associated with Viacom. Campaigns used celebrity PSAs, live events, and online content strategies similar to those used in public-awareness efforts by Rock the Vote and DoSomething.org. Media outreach incorporated influencers and artists who had previously fronted educational or youth civic campaigns, including collaborations reminiscent of work by Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, Demi Lovato, and Chance the Rapper. The initiative's visibility grew during national moments such as College Signing Day events and converged with trending platforms including Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Governance and Leadership

Leadership structures combined nonprofit management with corporate partnership oversight. Executive leadership included figures with backgrounds in media and nonprofit administration comparable to leaders at Princeton University Outreach, Tides Foundation, and Public Broadcasting Service. Advisory boards comprised education researchers, district superintendents from systems like Detroit Public Schools Community District and Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and representatives from partner foundations. Governance practices aligned with nonprofit standards promoted by Independent Sector and reporting norms similar to those followed by organizations registered with the Internal Revenue Service.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in the United States Category:Educational organizations]