Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan are making news for all the right reasons.
The couple have just announced plans to open a private school; bringing education and healthcare together.
In his Facebook announcement last week Zuckerberg writes,
I’m so proud of Priscilla for starting The Primary School — a new kind of school that brings education and healthcare together.
Health and education are closely connected. When children aren’t healthy, they can’t learn as easily. Many kids and teachers across the country deal with the consequences of poor health in classrooms every day.
Priscilla has seen this in her work as a pediatrician and a teacher, so over the past year she’s been working with our local community to set up a new type of school in East Palo Alto. In addition to early childhood and K-12 education, The Primary School will also provide prenatal support for families and on-site healthcare for children. By bringing healthcare and education together in one place, the goal is to support families and help children from underserved communities reach their full potential.
On a personal note, it’s inspiring to see Priscilla grow as an entrepreneur and leader. I’m looking forward to watching with pride as she develops The Primary School into a great resource for our community.
You can learn more at: http://www.theprimaryschool.org/
And in her own Facebook announcement Chan adds,
My experiences of running an after school program in a low income housing project and working as a pediatrician in a safety net hospital has shown me first hand that we need a better way of caring for and educating our children. The effects of trauma and chronic stress create an invisible burden for children that makes it very difficult for them to be healthy and live up to their academic potential. We must address these issues holistically in order to allow children to succeed.
For the past year, our small team has been working with East Palo Alto and Belle Haven families, educators and leaders to develop a model to address these complex needs. The work is ongoing and we look forward to sharing as we make progress!
And in more great news, the couple are expecting their first child, a daughter, this winter.
