Mark Zuckerberg And Priscilla Chan Open The Primary School For Underprivileged Students
Shawn RiceOctober 25, 2015
Mark Zuckerberg and his pregnant wife Priscilla Chan are opening up a private school for underprivileged students in East Palo Alto, the San-Jose Mercury News reported Thursday. The concept which continues their good work across the world is called The Primary School.
“It’s a new kind of school that brings education and healthcare together,” Zuckerberg said in a Facebook (FB, Tech30) post Friday.
Funded by the Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan Donor Advised Fund, the school will be geared toward low-income students and attendance will be free.
“Health and education are closely connected,” said Zuckerberg in his post. “When children aren’t healthy, they can’t learn as easily. Many kids and teachers across the country deal with the consequences of poor health in classrooms every day.”
Zuckerberg said Chan, a pediatrician who at one point also taught 4th and 5th grade science, has been working on the school initiative for over a year. The school is intended to cater to preschoolers and students in kindergarten through eighth grade in East Palo Alto and eastern Menlo Park. The school is slated to open in August.
“By integrating education, health, and family support services starting at birth, TPS will expand the traditional definition of ‘school’ in order to prepare all children to succeed in college, career, and life,” the organization’s website reads.
Programming starts next year with full-time school for four-year-olds and parent-based activities for infants and two-year-olds. Dr. Chan, a pediatrician and teacher, will be the CEO. Before going to medical school, she ran an after-school program and taught elementary school science in Boston.
Zuckerberg and Chan are also expecting their first child, a daughter. The Zuckerbergs have previously supported schools with innovative models, including investments in AltSchool, a private school that features mixed-age classes. It was founded in San Francisco in 2013.
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