Grantee Andrea Ghez Wins Nobel Prize in Physics Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 10/6/2020 on 10/6/2020 Grantee partner Andrea Ghez, UCLA’s Lauren B. Leichtman and Arthur E. Levine Professor of Astrophysics, was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in physics today. Ghez shares the prize with Reinhard Genzel of University of California, Berkeley, and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics.
COVID-19 Response & Beyond: Report Highlights Parents, Providers, and Field Perspectives to Inform Early Childhood Grantmaking Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 10/5/2020 on 10/5/2020 In collaboration with The Bridgespan Group and The Education Trust, we are pleased to share a report to inform conversations, decisions, and actions that early childhood funders might take in 2021 from the perspective of what parents, providers, and field leaders have named as most critical in working towards a more equitable early childhood system.
Astronomers May Have Found a Signature of Life on Venus Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 9/14/2020 on 9/14/2020 Scientists at MIT, Cardiff University, and elsewhere have observed what may be signs of life in the clouds of Venus. The astronomers, led by Jane Greaves of Cardiff University, detected in Venus’ atmosphere a spectral fingerprint, or light-based signature of phosphine using the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) in Hawaii, and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) observatory in Chile. Their discovery and analysis is published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
Why Face Masks Work Better Than You Would Think Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 9/10/2020 on 9/10/2020 From a purely mathematical perspective, face masks are more effective in reducing the transmission of COVID-19 than we may think. This happens for two reasons: masks protect in both directions (when we breathe in and when we breathe out), and the number of interactions involving people wearing masks is higher than the number of people wearing masks in public.
Foundation’s Human Rights Program Invests $1.8M in Black-Led Organizations Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 9/10/2020 on 9/10/2020 The Heising-Simons Foundation recognizes that structural racism pervades our society and manifests through systems of punishment including mass incarceration. The result is the over criminalization of Black people and the under resourcing of Black people in economic, political, and social justice sectors. To address these issues, the Human Rights program invests in grassroots organizing led by Black people and other communities of color directly impacted by mass criminalization, while advancing reimagined approaches to safety, justice, and accountability.
Beyond Screens: Digital Apps to Support Young Children’s Healthy Learning and Development Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 8/20/2020 on 8/20/2020 Let’s face it, when we think about supporting the healthy development of our youngest learners, leveraging technology––and, specifically, mobile apps––may not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, parents and teachers are looking for technology solutions to help maintain connections and encourage learning when being at school may not be possible.
New Public Art Series to Celebrate Women in Science in Cities Across the Country Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 8/6/2020 on 8/6/2020 After studying neuroscience at Columbia and working in a research lab, Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya decided to take a leap and move into art and design. The now-internationally recognized artist is best known for work that showcases amazing women who have pushed science forward.
“Our Future Depends Upon Caring for the Early Educators” — New Op-Ed by the Early Educator Investment Collaborative Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 7/1/2020 on 7/1/2020 The Early Educator Investment Collaborative (EEIC) has published an opinion piece on The Hill about the urgent need to “redesign the preparation and compensation pathways for early educators” in the wake of the economic crisis brought on by COVID-19.
Early Educators are Essential – Now and Always Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 6/24/2020 on 6/24/2020 Early childhood education serves a perpetual dual purpose: providing critical early learning experiences during a child’s first years of life and supporting parents to work and to further their child’s learning outside of the classroom. For these reasons, we must acknowledge that early educators are essential to the stability of our society.