Frontier Institute Announces Ed Navigate

New online resource center helps families and education providers navigate Montana’s rapidly changing education ecosystem.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 14th, 2024
tavery@frontierinstitute.org

Frontier Institute Announces Ed Navigate

HELENA, Mont. – Today Montana’s Frontier Institute, in collaboration with the National School Choice Awareness Foundation, has officially launched Ed Navigate, a new online resource center to help families and education providers navigate Montana’s rapidly changing education ecosystem.

“Montana families are starting the 2024 fall semester with more K12 education options than ever before. We created Ed Navigate to help Montanans connect with education options near them and engage with the state’s new school choice programs,” said Kendall Cotton, President & CEO of Frontier Institute. “Projects like Ed Navigate advance our belief that every child in Montana deserves equality of educational opportunity.”

“Montana is setting an example for states across the country by boldly expanding school choice options in multiple types of schools at once. We know that there’s not just one type of school that parents want to choose for their children, which is why growing access to open enrollment, charter schools, private school choice programs, and online learning is so popular,” said Shelby Doyle, Vice President of Public Awareness at the National School Choice Awareness Foundation. “With so many new opportunities, this project will help guide parents to the best fit for their children’s needs. We’re excited to help Montana families gain clarity and confidence in selecting the best educational opportunities for their children.”

The 2023 Montana Legislature passed significant school choice legislation to increase K12 education options, including Education Savings Accounts for special needs students and two different types of charter options for public education.

EdNavigateMT.com offers free, publicly available resources to help families connect with education options and help support early-stage schools and other education start-ups to ensure their success, including: 

• An interactive map tool powered by Schoolahoop to help parents easily connect with education options near them.
• In-depth resources, FAQ’s, and news updates about education options available in Montana.
• Opportunities for one-on-one consultation, trainings, and other personalized support.

Frontier Institute has tapped Outreach Coordinator Cheryl Tusken to lead the Ed Navigate project.

“Parents face a lot of challenges in directing their child’s education and it can be hard to know where to start exploring non-traditional education options like homeschool or private school. Ed Navigate provides free resources and a team of support so parents don’t have to face their student’s education journey alone,” said Cheryl Tusken, Outreach Coordinator at Frontier Institute.

For bookings or interviews, contact tavery@frontierinstitute.org or 406-414-7146

Founded in 2020, Frontier Institute is a think tank based in Helena, MT dedicated to keeping Montanans free to build, create, and innovate.