2023 Aspen Challenge: New Orleans

Welcome to 2023 Aspen Challenge: New Orleans! We are thrilled to be entering into our second year in New Orleans with the brilliant and talented students and educators of New Schools for New Orleans. We are excited to be in community together, discussing societal challenges you may be facing in New Orleans and that young people experience across the country. Today, we will hear from leading thinkers who tackle some of our world’s toughest problems. These experts will pose their challenge statements to you, tasking you to design creative and innovative solutions that will benefit your community, your city, and beyond.  As we’ve witnessed over the last three years, the world has come alive with examples of innovation that are allowing for meaningful connection and impact. We believe that you have what it takes to make demonstrable change in New Orleans and we can’t wait to see the unique solutions you design over the next nine weeks!

The Challenge Forum will take place on February 2, 2023, 9:15 – 4:00 pm Central Time at the Senator Ted Hickey Ballroom, University of New Orleans.

The Solution Showcase will take place on April 6, 2023, 9:15 – 7:00pm Central Time at Senator Ted Hickey Ballroom, University of New Orleans.

New Schools for New Orleans Participating Schools

New Schools for New Orleans (NSNO) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2006 whose mission is to deliver on the promise of excellent public schools for every child in New Orleans. To achieve this mission, NSNO drives change in three ways: 1) we invest in the launch or expansion of high-performing open-enrollment public charter schools, 2) we help schools become more effective by providing them with direct support to help accelerate academic improvements, and 3) we coordinate solutions to citywide challenges to remove barriers to academic excellence.  To guide their work, NSNO has established a set of core values that they rely on to fulfill that mission. NSNO prioritizes work around race, equity, and inclusiveness within each of their priorities. They know that their pursuit of anti-racism and equity, both within their organization and outside it, is necessary and must be ongoing.

The following 19 schools will participate in the Aspen Challenge: New Orleans 2023:

Founding Partners

Aspen Challenge was launched by the Aspen Institute and the Bezos Family Foundation.

The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the most important challenges facing the United States and the world. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Institute has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, and an international network of partners. The Aspen Challenge is a part of the Leadership Division at the Aspen Institute, whose programs are committed to the development of values-based leaders that proactively confront societal challenges – both individually and collectively – in order to create a more just, fair, and equitable society

The Bezos Family Foundation supports rigorous, inspired learning environments for young people, from birth through high school, to put their education into action. Through investments in research, public awareness, and programs, the foundation works to elevate the field of education and improve life outcomes for all children.