Imagine if public education was one of the most trusted institutions in America. We do. Every day.
At bravEd, we believe trust is the lifeblood of any thriving institution—and public education is no exception.
That’s why we created  8 Weeks to Trust: a national effort to lay the groundwork for a new, trust-centered narrative about our schools.
1. What We Know About Trust:
1. It takes time to build
2. It can be lost in an instant, and,
3. It requires vigilance to maintain
But building lasting trust requires more than just effort—it requires a foundation.
2. So What’s Missing in our Schools?
Ask a room full of people what the foundation of trust is, and you’ll hear familiar answers: follow-through, responsibility, clear communication.
These are essential—but not enough.
Even when schools do all of those things, trust doesn’t automatically follow. Because something foundational is missing.
3. A Common Shared Vocabulary
To be trusted, schools must be understood, and that means speaking a language that the public recognizes, exactly the thing missing in public education.
In every trusted profession, a shared vocabulary exists that allows trust to happen:
- Patients can describe care in non-medical terms
- Clients can express goals without technical training
- Stakeholders can name what matters—and professionals can respond in kind
But in education, this kind of shared language has never fully emerged. The reasons for that are both complex and interesting, but at the end of the day they don't matter. What does matter is that we fill in the missing piece.
4. The Urgency
Without the foundation of a Common Shared Vocabulary, broad institutional trust remains out of reach.Â
And without that trust, public misunderstanding and harmful policies are all but guaranteed to be the norm going forward.
That is not acceptable.
We now have the tools to fix it, and so we must.
5. Our Goal
8 Weeks to Trust is about creating the dialogue needed to surface the benefits communities expect from their schools—and turning those insights into a shared vocabulary that allows schools to be seen clearly and trusted fully.
Because when people understand the value of public education, they’re far more likely to believe in it.
And when they believe in it, they fight for it.
We’re here to build the foundation that makes that possible.
Two Ways to Get Involved in 8 Weeks to Trust
 Here is How it Works
8 Weeks to Trust will run Cohorts 4 times during the 2025–26 school year
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Back to School: Sept 14 – Nov 2
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Late Fall: Oct 26 – Dec 14
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Winter: Jan 11 – Mar 3
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Spring: Mar 8 – Apr 26
Participation is as simple as...
 1. Join a Cohort
Each Cohort includes dozens of local and national Pods participating in the same 8-week sequence to create a sense of community.
Local Pods meet in person, led by a community facilitator.
National Pods meet virtually, facilitated by bravEd.
At scale, all those dialogues can have a huge impact.
2. Discuss the Weekly Theme
Each week centers on a powerful theme (e.g., How Complex Organizations Build Stakeholder Trust), explored through two different conversations:
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A local or national Pod Dialogue (held Mon–Thu) based on a designed experience
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A national Friday Town Hall, where participants from across the country lead the dialogue to share what they’re learning
3. Look Forward to the Weekly Kickoff Emails
Every Sunday, participants receive a short video and email introducing the theme for the week—designed to spark thought and set the tone.
In under five minutes you'll have a sense of what the topic is and the chance to start reflecting on what it means to you.
4. Make and Keep a Simple Commitment
Participants:
Show up. and engage in the dialogues. That is where the value lies.
Pod Leads:
Assemble your team, find a location, choose, do some light prep, and keep everyone leaning in and learning.
Support for this Work
Local Pods:Â $750 per Pod, which includes up to 20 participants.
National Pods:Â $100 per individual
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