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Harvard is opened.
Opened in Cambridge, MA, Harvard is the first higher education institution in the US. They pride themselves on being the oldest university in America. -
Young Ladies' Academy was opened
The Young Ladies' Academy of Philadelphia was the first institution for the higher education of young women in the U.S. Studies included reading, writing, spelling, arithmetic, grammar, composition, rhetoric, geography, history, and vocal music. This school was started because at the time there was a thought that women couldn't be educated at the level of higher education. The goal was to prove those prejudices wrong and give more opportunities to the young women of that time. -
The Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing was founded
This is the first public day school for deaf or hard of hearing students. Gained popularity because of Alexander Graham Bell and Helen Keller. It is still open today and continues to provide education for children and young adults. -
Margaret Bancroft opened the Haddonfield Bancroft Training School
This institution was founded to develop ways to teach developmentally disabled children. The program focused on physical, mental, and spiritual growth for each student. Value was also placed on exercise, nutrition, daily prayers, hygiene, sensory and artistic development, and lessons that were suited to the students mental age. The students also had field trips to theaters, museums, concerts, etc. Today there are locations in multiple cities in New Jersey as well as Pennsylvania and Delaware. -
Frederick Douglass Patterson founds the UNCF
Patterson was a professor of veterinary science and later the president of the veterinary division at Tuskegee University in the 1920s. After this he decided to fund the UNCF. The United Negro College Fund is an organization that funds scholarships for black students and general scholarship funds for 39 black colleges and universities. -
First day of school for the Little Rock Nine
The Little Rock Nine were a group of African-American students that were enrolled in an all white high school. In an attempt to desegregate schools, they were sent to Little Rock Central High School. This decision was not received well with students, and the Little Rock Nine had to have armed escorts. -
First Charter School opened
City Academy Charter School in St. Paul, Minnesota was the first charter school to open in America. The school started by recruiting low-income families. 20 years later they have a low dropout rate, but low proficiency in math and science. -
Arne Duncan is appointed U.S. Secretary of Education
Duncan's main initiative as Secretary of Education has been the Race to the Top competition. States compete for federal education dollars by submitting proposals with reforms and judging teachers on their students' performance on standarized tests. -
Malala Yousafzai wins the Nobel Peace Prize
Malala faced unjust cruelty from the Taliban in Pakistan such as burning of girls schools, and was shot for speaking out against their treatment. A campaign for the rights of girls education turned into a fight for education for all children. “One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen can change the world.”
