About Us

School2Home is a comprehensive initiative that builds the capacity of its Partner Schools to integrate technology into teaching, learning and parent engagement to improve student outcomes and establish a sustainable digital learning culture.  Since 2009, School2Home has provided financial support and technical assistance to Partner Schools in 12 districts throughout California to implement the following School2Home 10 Core Components:

• School Leadership, Assessment and Planning
• Technology Bundles
• Teacher Professional Learning
• Coaching and Mentoring
• Parent Engagement and Education
• Student Tech Expert Development
• Online Resources
• Learning Academies
• Affordable Home Internet Access
• Evaluation

The Implementation Guide provides more detail on how these 10 Core Components are operationalized. School2Home helps its Partner Schools ensure that:

• Every student has a digital device and Internet access at school and home.
• Families are welcomed at school and provided opportunities to learn about, acquire, and use technology to become part of the school community, help their children learn, and keep them safe online.
• Teachers receive multiple professional learning opportunities to strengthen their capacity to design, develop and infuse technology into transformative digital learning experiences for their students and establish meaningful relationships with families.
  

School2Home is a time-tested approach for seeding and sustaining a digital learning culture in schools located in underserved neighborhoods with low home Internet adoption rates.  The California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) developed School2Home to close the Achievement Gap and the Digital Divide in California. 

School2Home supports school districts, administrators, principals, teachers, parents, and community leaders who are committed to improving the academic performance for all students and ensuring they have the essential skills to succeed in a digital economy. It is anchored in extensive analysis of successful technology programs, research on effective parent engagement, and best practices to improve schools.  School2Home has 10 Core Components:

The development, implementation and evaluation of School2Home are guided by the following Logic Model, which defines the inputs, outputs and expected short, medium and long-term outcomes.

Every facet of school life was altered in March 2020.  As schools closed and shifted to remote learning, the lives of students, parents, teachers and school leaders were disrupted, and the structural inequities that School2Home has been addressing for more than a decade became all the more apparent.  

As evidenced in interviews, surveys, and management progress reports conducted for the 2019-2020 Evaluation, every Partner School said they were better prepared than other schools serving historically underserved communities.

Similar results were found in the 2020-2021 Evaluation.  Importantly, Partner School Principals said they had developed the necessary systems and leadership to continue implementing the School2Home framework on their own, a major goal of this capacity-building endeavor. 

The remote learning experiences validated the School2Home Theory of Change.  Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic provided a catalyst to accelerate progress towards closing the Digital Divide in a manner that also helps reduce associated equity gaps.  As a result, many of the policy objectives CETF and School2Home have championed began to be addressed. Read the recommendations from the  2020 – 2021 Evaluation here. 

Evaluation is an essential component of School2Home.  It is conducted each year by an Independent Evaluator with support from Partner Schools and School2Home management. Evaluation Reports can be found here.

The School2Home Team is diverse and comes from a wide range of backgrounds.  Each member is committed to the mission of closing the Digital Divide and the Achievement Gap in California. School2Home is part of the California Emerging Technology Fund, which provides oversight and administrative support.  Team members include educators, research analysts, advocates, and other experts.  School Principals and School Leadership Teams are vital partners to School2Home.  Listed below are the members of the School2Home Leadership Team.

Agustin Urgiles is the Executive Manager of School2Home. Agustin has been with School2Home from the very beginning, having played a significant role in the planning, design, and testing of the initiative. A first-generation college graduate with degrees from the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Southern California, Agustin has dedicated his career to improving student access to high-quality education systems. He has broad experience in establishing and managing strategic collaborations between education institutions, community-based organizations and the private sector in order to improve the education experience for children and their families in high-poverty communities and neighborhoods.

Raquel Cinat has been the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) Associate Vice President of Southern California since 2007. During her involvement with CETF, she has developed, managed, and overseen programs and statewide initiatives in three major strategic areas: digital inclusion grants, publicly-subsidized housing, and education. She has a degree in Clinical Psychology and over 20-year expertise in the non-profit area serving disadvantaged populations. Raquel believes in the importance of closing the Digital Divide to help close the economic, student achievement, and opportunity gaps in California.

Elaine Carpenter brings years of executive experience in the private and non-profit sectors. She was instrumental in developing School2Home over 10 years ago when serving as the Technology Program Director for The Children’s Partnership. Before her work in the non-profit sector, she served as a Vice President of Communications and Government Affairs at a mid-sized telecom company and as Chief of Staff of the United States Telecom Association in Washington, DC. Dedicated to the transformative power of technology to improve underserved communities, Elaine helps School2Home through advocacy, research, and program documentation.