Narrator:
As WestEd commemorates 60 years of supporting thriving learners and empowered communities, we asked our staff and board members to reflect on our history and look ahead to our future.
What differentiates WestEd from other organizations working to improve education and human development?
Hannah Guevara, Policy Manager, WestEd:
I think what makes WestEd different really starts with our roots. So WestEd was actually created by states, and that remains really central to everything that we do. So we’re not only a nonprofit that supports states, but we’re also what’s called a joint powers authority, which means that we’re governed in part by state leaders who shape our work. And so that close relationship means our work is grounded in the real challenges that states and districts are facing every day. And I see that focus reflected in the folks here at WestEd. I mean, many are former superintendents, state education leaders or educators themselves, so they understand what it really takes to solve problems and are working in true partnership with folks on the ground to do it.