Chidi Asoluka
Founder & CEO, NewComm
New York
Project: Literacy as Defense: NewComm's Pedagogy of Reading Across Registers
Bio
Chidi Asoluka is Founder and CEO of NewComm, an innovative learning community where high school students connect rigorous academics with hands-on community restoration projects. A former high school English teacher and administrator with more than 16 years of experience across public, charter, and independent schools, Chidi has dedicated his career to reimagining education as a pathway to academic achievement, civic leadership, and economic opportunity. A TEDx speaker and nationally recognized voice on educational innovation, he empowers young people to lead meaningful community change while developing the skills they need to succeed in school, college, and beyond.
Innovation for Learning Fund Project: Literacy as Defense: NewComm's Pedagogy of Reading Across Registers
NewComm's Innovation for Learning Fund project will strengthen and evaluate its innovative literacy model, which teaches students to read across four interconnected areas: literature, finance, communities, and public narratives. Through community-based learning experiences, students apply classroom learning to real-world challenges by leading funded community projects that address local needs. The initiative will refine the organization's evaluation framework, demonstrating how this interdisciplinary approach strengthens academic achievement, civic engagement, and long-term economic mobility while creating a model that can be replicated in communities across the country.
About NewComm
NewComm is a student-powered learning community that transforms rigorous academics into community restoration and long-term economic opportunity for high school students of color. Through funded, project-based learning experiences, students develop leadership, critical thinking, and real-world problem-solving skills while directing meaningful investments into their own communities. The organization's model equips young people to become both scholars and community leaders.
