Personalized Learning Initiative: Highlander Institute

The Personalized Learning Initiative, which is led by New Profit Partner Trevor Brown, is an effort to invest in promising new approaches and technologies that can give students more agency in their own learning journey and provide teachers with tools to tailor classroom instruction to the unique needs of each student. As part of this four-year initiative, seven selected organizations will each receive an unrestricted grant of $1 million. Today we celebrate one of the seven selected organizations: Highlander Institute.

About The Highlander Institute

The Highlander Institute is focused on researching, developing, and disseminating innovative methods to improve outcomes for all learners stemming from learnings working with LD students that can be applied to all struggling students. The Institute focuses on the educator, providing unique tailored embedded support at the classroom and district level on blended learning methods for Personalized Learning, anytime/anyplace learning movement, and 21st-century skill training. The model is currently focused across the state of Rhode Island.

About Dana Borrelli-Murray, Executive Director

As the Executive Director, Dana is responsible for overseeing all areas of service and specialty within the Institute, as well as strategic planning and organizational effectiveness. Dana is driven by social justice and a deep interest in dismantling convention to meet the changing needs of all learners in this digital age. Dana worked as an administrator at Highlander Charter School, where she created and implemented a comprehensive Expanded Learning Time movement. Active in the community, she sits on multiple state and local boards, committees and working groups. She holds graduate degrees in Anthropology (UMass-Amherst) and Urban Education Policy (Brown University) and lives in Cranston with her husband and two children.

About Shawn Rubin, Chief Education Officer

As the Chief Education Officer, Shawn manages the Institute’s personalized and blended learning initiatives. Shawn also leads the FUSE RI fellowship and co-founded various programs including the EdUnderground, EdTechRI, and Metryx, a start-up software company building flexible formative assessment tools for educators where he serves as CEO. Shawn earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan and his Master’s in Education at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA and served as a founding faculty member of the Highlander Charter School before joining the Institute in 2011.

Follow @DBorrelliMurray, @ShawnCRubin & @HighlanderInst to keep up with the Highlander Institute!