Esther Wojcicki

Esther Wojcicki is a leading American educator, journalist, and mother, giving insights on the five fundamental values that help us all become capable, successful people. As a leader in blended learning and the integration of technology into education, she is the founder of the Media Arts program at Palo Alto High School, where she built a journalism program from a small group of 20 students in 1984 to one of the largest in the nation, including 600 students, five additional journalism teachers, and nine award-winning journalism publications. Wojcicki serves as vice chair of Creative Commons. She has previously worked as a professional journalist for multiple publications, and blogs regularly for The Huffington Post. Esther has been intimately involved with Google and Google for Education since its inception, where she was one of the leaders in setting up the Google Teacher Academy and remains a guiding force. Esther has received two honorary doctorate degrees—Palo Alto University (2013) and Rhode Island School of Design (2016). She was named California Teacher of the Year in 2002 by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. She is a recipient of the Gold Key by Columbia Scholastic Press Association in recognition of her outstanding devotion to the cause of school press; a board member of Alliance for Excellent Education in Washington, DC, and on the board of Newseum; and a has been a consultant for the U.S. Department of Education, Hewlett Foundation, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Google, Silicon Valley Education Foundation, and Time magazine.