“By bringing healthcare and schooling collectively in one place, the objective is to help households and assist youngsters from underserved communities attain their full potential”, stated Facebook co-founder and chief government Zuckerberg.
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Chan is listed at the CEO of the school – her husband’s name is not listed as a team member.
Chan, a former school teacher and current pediatrician at San Francisco General Hospital, will serve as CEO of The Primary School, which is slated to open in August 2016.
Dubbed The Primary School, the new private school will be located just a stone’s throw away from the Facebook headquarters and cater primarily to preschool-age kids and K-8 students in low-income areas. No tuition will be charged, according to the school’s website.
Rather than just teaching kids math problems from a textbook, teachers in a whole-child system help kids learn how to be healthy (both mentally and physically), individualize students’ learning based on their particular needs, and help kids appreciate the impact they can make in their community.
In her own Facebook post, Chan said her personal experiences pushed her to “find a better way of caring for and educating our children”. Any school that takes students out of the public school system, she said, “hurts Ravenswood on a grander scale”.
Funding will be routed through the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
It is not known how much the couple will contribute annually to keep the school running, though it will likely be a drop in the bucket with Forbes recently estimating Zuckerberg to be worth $44.9billion, making him the seventh richest person in the United States.
“Our approach integrates primary education and primary care, effectively braiding together education, health, and family support services starting at birth”, the website description reads.
Buada said other organizations have been collaborators in developing the new school, including the Ravenswood City School District; StarVista, a San Carlos nonprofit that provides mental health and other support services to youth and families; and San Mateo County Health Services Agency, among others.
“Improving public education in our country and our community is something Priscilla and I really care about”, Zuckerberg said at the time.
The couple have donated large amounts to education in the past, including $100 million gift to New Jersey schools and $7.5million in college scholarships to undocumented students.
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According to the Mercury News, the school hasn’t decided how it will admit students if the demand exceeds available enrollment, which, given the star-power behind the upcoming project, is nearly certain to happen.
