Mouse was founded in 1997 by entrepreneur, Andrew Rasiej and Founding Executive Director, Sarah Holloway. Along with leaders from the ‘high tech’ community in New York City, Mouse spearheaded the process of wiring public schools for Internet access in New York City. Mouse’s first project brought over 200 volunteers together to wire Andrew Rasiej’s neighborhood high school, Washington Irving High School. In order to coordinate volunteer efforts, Andrew created a registration database matching his volunteers' varied skills with schools needing particular assistance. This database marked the birth of Mouse, an organization that has served over 170,000 students since 1997.
For many years, Mouse pioneered innovative school programs in support of its mission: to be a catalyst for the effective integration of technology in teaching and learning in urban public schools, empowering students and schools to succeed in today's knowledge-based economy. Mouse's two main programs were Mouse Squad, a student-driven technical support help desk program that addresses the technology needs of elementary, middle and high schools; and TechSource, a research and policy initiative that provides information and leadership around critical education and technology issues facing urban districts with the ultimate goal of increasing the quality and pervasiveness of effective technology usage in public schools. Together, these initiatives support 21st century learning communities for public school students and teachers.
Today, Mouse designs computer science and STEM curriculum on its online learning platform, Mouse Create; trains K-12 educators; and engages students through the Design League program and events at the Mouse Creative Computing Lab.
Sarah Holloway, Mouse Founding Executive Director
Sarah Holloway has worked in the public and nonprofit sector for 25 years. She is currently a full-time member of the SIPA faculty where she teaches Nonprofit Financial Management and Social Entrepreneurship. In addition to teaching, she runs the school’s Management Specialization—a set of courses and activities that support knowledge and skill building in non-profit, for-profit and social enterprise management and oversees a campus-wide entrepreneurship initiative focused on global Education Technology for the Center for Development Economics & Policy. Sarah is a serial social entrepreneur and the co-founder of six ventures in K-12 education including Mouse.org and Computer Science for All (CSforAll). She sits on the Board of Mission:Restore, Benefit Kitchen, Visit.org, Five One Labs, CSforALL, and Columbia Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Design.
Sarah received a Bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College and a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from SIPA.
Andrew Rasiej, Founder
Andrew Rasiej is a civic and social entrepreneur, technology strategist, and Founder of Civic Hall, a collaborative work center, and event space currently located in the Flatiron district of Manhattan supporting a growing community of people and organizations building technology solutions for the public good. Civic Hall is also in the process of constructing a new 80,000 sq. ft.facility called Civic Hall @ Union Square to expand its work and create a new Digital Skills Training center for underserved individuals and communities. Andrew is also the Founder of annual Personal Democracy Forum the world's largest and best known gathering focusing on the intersection of technology, politics, and government. He is the Chairman Emeritus of the NY Tech Alliance, a 60,000+-member organization of New Yorkers from diverse industries working in the New York technology ecosystem. He is the Founder of Mouse.org, which provides technology education in public schools in New York and many other global locations. Andrew was a founding Senior Technology Advisor to the Sunlight Foundation, a Washington DC organization using technology to help make the government more transparent and accountable. Andrew lives and works near Union Square in New York City, and can be followed on twitter at @Rasiej.
