Moonshot’s Direct to Fellows Learning Fund is a program designed to provide our Fellows with the financial resources to pilot their schools and program models while also building the political and social capital required to launch a new learning environment. The Learning Fund is also an opportunity for our Fellows to practice their fundraising and development skills. This “Spotlight” series will feature a different Fellow speaking about the opportunities they were able to access as a result of this fund.

Emma Reicks is a member of Cohort 6 and received a grant through the Learning Fund as part of a pilot that supported her participation in the Fellowship. Emma is the first Fellow from rural Colorado to participate in our Fellowship. She is working on launching a Montessori elementary micro-school in her hometown of Grand Junction, Colorado.

What led you to join the Moonshot Fellowship, and what will you take away from your experience in Cohort 6?

Reicks: I live on the unceded land of the Southern Ute Tribe, also known as Grand Junction, Colorado, a beautifully scenic desert valley on the western edge of the state and my hometown. I returned here with my family in the summer of 2020 after almost fifteen years of studying and working in public education in large, diverse metropolitan cities. The move allowed me to step back and reflect on how I could leverage my experience as an educator and school administrator and my passion for educational equity to invest back into my community. I determined, after much research and listening, that the intersection of my experience, passion, and the needs of my community was expanding Montessori access through a public charter school.

A charter school's application and authorization process are long, complex, and difficult. Although I had the support of the incredible team at Wildflower Montessori Public Schools of Colorado, I encountered many roadblocks; as a stay-at-home mother to two young children, I felt professionally and geographically isolated from others who are determined to innovate in the public education space and who hold bold, audacious visions for a different reality. I knew I needed to gain some of the skills necessary to operationalize and co-create an innovative school model with families.

I could not, therefore, miss an opportunity to build these and other skills, especially in an intentionally diverse cohort of exceptional leaders from whom I knew I would learn so much. I also joined the Moonshot Fellowship because investing in myself as a leader and entrepreneur will allow me to better serve my community and sustain in this work for the long term.

I have engaged in numerous professional development cohorts and experiences throughout my career. Still, I have yet to achieve the connection with others and the depth of learning and reflection I experienced in Explore. The intentionality of the program, designed to honor the individual members’ visions and experiences while challenging our thinking and practice, created an environment of vulnerability, rigor, and excitement.

I have many learnings from my time in the Fellowship; some are tangible, like the liberatory design mindsets and modes, how to more effectively leverage my strengths, building an effective pilot experience grounded in empathy interviews, and aligning my instructional vision and program with the science of learning and development. Others were intangible, like the joy of fostering authentic friendships, renewed confidence, motivation, inspiration, and reconnecting with my purpose.

I’m leaving Explore with not only more clarity and conviction about my venture but also with mentors, friends, and lifelines. I am grateful and humbled that Moonshot made this investment in me, and I look forward to the opportunity to pay it forward to future Fellows.

Connect with Emma via LinkedIn

Direct to Fellows Learning Fund Spotlight - Emma Reicks

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