Save the Date: Our Very First Virtual Gala!
Spring has sprung! And it’s time for new beginnings as flowers and trees begin to bud and bloom after a cold winter. We are excited to reflect upon and celebrate the accomplishments of our teams and students this past year and also take a deep breath, network with each other, and have a little fun! We are hosting our very first Spring Gala, and we welcome all to join us for this exciting day!
Why We Decided to Host a Gala
Pandemic Professors was founded in June 2020 by Harley Simpson, a UC Berkeley graduate, who had a vision to promote equal access to education for low-income students. Harley then recruited a group of 6 UC Berkeley graduates to join him and by December 2020, over 200 families across 18 states and 104 zip codes had taken advantage of Pandemic Professors’ free tutoring services! The organization has achieved over 2,500 hours of tutoring during its first 7 months alone.
Since our founding, the organization has experienced significant growth in the number of students, tutors, and volunteers worldwide, resulting in over 350 hours of one-on-one instruction each week. Pandemic Professors’ staff is able to provide tutoring and educational services to students from all over the country, sharing knowledge and expertise in specific subjects virtually.
With such significant growth, we are hosting our first Virtual Spring Gala to bring our expanding community of staff, tutors, students, families and donors together to celebrate their successes!
All proceeds from the Spring Gala will benefit the students and communities we serve. Many of our students are in need of technological equipment such as laptops and tablets. These items are necessities for our students to receive high-quality virtual tutoring and schooling. Additionally, we are in need of funding to purchase updated and advanced software applications to help us scale and increase the impact of the services we provide. Our goal is to help as many students as possible!
What’s in Store?
We have a jam-packed, fun-filled agenda! We are thrilled to welcome our guest Keynote Speaker, American psychologist and professor, Dr. Phillip Zimbardo, best known for conducting the 1971 Stanford prison experiment.
Philip Zimbardo grew up in the South Bronx of New York City. From his childhood experience, he learned that people are our most valuable resource, that diversity should be embraced because it enriches us, and that education is the key to escaping poverty. His education began in New York Public School 52 and later included Monroe High School, Brooklyn College, and Yale University for his PhD. Dr. Zimbardo has been on the faculty at Yale, New York University, Columbia University, and Stanford University, where he has been a professor since 1968. For more than 40 years, Dr. Zimbardo has devoted his career to teaching, scientific research, the practice of psychology, and applying psychological knowledge to improve the human condition.
Dr. Zimbardo has authored more than 250 articles, chapters, and books on topics that range from exploratory behavior in rats to persuasion, dissonance, hypnosis, cults, shyness, time perspective, deindividuation, prisons, and madness. His Stanford Prison Experiment is considered a classic demonstration of the power of situations to shape human behavior. At the APA convention in August of 2000, he received the APA Division 1 Hilgard Award for his lifetime contributions to theory and research in general psychology.
In addition to our Keynote speaker, we will celebrate some of our Donors, Tutors and Staff members, showcase a gallery of our students’ projects, celebrate some of their success, host networking and breakout rooms, and conduct a Silent Auction (more exciting details to come!)
When and Where?
The event will be hosted on Zoom May 6th 4–6 pm PST / 7–9 pm EST. Everyone is welcome to buy tickets and join in on the fun! Don’t miss out! VIP and General Admission tickets are on sale now! All proceeds go directly to enhancing and expanding free educational services for low-income students. Click here to get your tickets now!
Written By: Irfan Jeddy
