After studying intellectual history as an undergraduate, I plunged into the K-12 education world, exploring a number of common themes while working in very different environments. At a wonderful, off the beaten track 19th century natural history museum in Philadelphia, I created innovative educational programs for thousands of children and their teachers in inner-city elementary schools. This work earned me Philadelphia's first "Great Friend to Kids" award. After that, I served as an administrator in one of Pennsylvania's first charter schools through its zany first two years. At the same time, I joined with several others to lead my own urban community through a planning and revitalization process, serving on the community association's board and spearheading the effort to bring better public school options to the neighborhood.

In 2000, I moved to the Bay Area and spent the next six years helping a local independent school refocus its technology strategy to complement its progressive educational approach and ambitions. I came to Stanford in the fall of 2006 both to pursue some ideas that I had been percolating for a while without enough time.

While this site is no longer being updated, I welcome your comments, ideas and suggestions mbasnage (at) stanfordalumni (dot) org.