A Silicon Valley high school turned $15,000 into millions with a very smart Snap investment

The money will be used “accelerate” the school’s pursuit of goals outlined by its “strategic plan,” which include launching a comprehensive STEM program, expanding funding for financial aid, and providing additional training to faculty and staff.

Part of the strategic plan at St. Francis High School is to leverage their position in Silicon Valley, which they have certainly accomplished in this investment via the chair of their growth fund, who is also a founder at Lightspeed Venture Partners.

It’s very cool to see the Snap IPO directly funding education initiatives, and as the St. Francis strategic plans echoes that of many startup incubators and accelerators, it’s interesting to think about the various ways insight and access can be leveraged to create successful and sustainable learning environments whether it be in high schools, incubators, or on the job.

As Make in LA’s Noramay Cadena puts it, the ultimate goal of these environments is to “…accelerate learning, build community and build a network. Hustle trumps capability and capability trumps ideas.”