D65 Meet the Candidate: Nichole Pinkard

Post 4/11 in a 10 day series on District 65 Candidates for Office

Update 3/16 8:44PM: I’m closing the comment section, I don’t have the time over the next few days to properly moderate the discussion regarding the Northwestern protests last year or litigate third party facebook group moderation policies. I’m insanely busy trying to get out voter guides. I think most opinions have been aired and if there is one that you feel is being unfairly excluded from the conversation, email me: tom@foiagras.com and I will include it.

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This is a post in a series that will run from March 7 to March 17th where I’ve given District 65 Board Candidates the option to post whatever they want on the blog. I gave them no limitations, except to follow the standard comment section rules and I do no editing, beyond formatting.

If you have questions for the candidates, please also follow the rules on the comment section.

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Designing Opportunity: A Vision for Evanston’s Schools

By Nichole Pinkard

Why I’m Running for the District 65 School Board

Evanston is a community that prides itself on opportunity, equity, and excellence. These are not just words; they reflect our commitments to our children—ensuring every student has access to a high-quality education and the experiences shaping their future. Our schools play a central role, but they are only one part of the larger learning ecosystem that includes libraries, parks, community centers, and the many organizations that enrich the lives of our youth.

I am running for the District 65 School Board because we need leaders who understand how learning happens inside and outside the classroom and recognize that our policies and financial decisions must align with our values. As our district faces complex financial and structural challenges, we must be strategic in our decisions, ensuring that we do not widen opportunity gaps but create a more inclusive and equitable system that serves all students. My work in Evanston has always been about expanding access to learning opportunities. Whether in my role as a professor at Northwestern, director of the Office of Community Education Partnerships (OCEP), or provider of STEAM programming. as part of citywide learning initiatives such as EvanSTEM.

A Lifelong Commitment to Learning and Opportunity

My passion for trying to connect a city’s learning opportunities is deeply personal. I grew up in Kansas City, Kansas, when MTV was launching, cell phones didn’t exist, and our neighborhoods shaped our world. My landscape of opportunity was defined by connected neighbors, basketball courts, libraries, and a mother who took me to swap books at the bookmobile every other Saturday. My introduction to computer science came not through an elite program but in an eighth-grade class taught by my basketball coach. I took the class to stay in good standing with my coach, not because I was initially drawn to the subject. But that class, embedded within my existing landscape of learning and mentorship, changed my trajectory.

That belief—that learning happens in many places, shaped by the people and systems surrounding us—has guided my work ever since.

When I returned to Evanston as a professor, I focused my research and partnerships on ensuring that all students, especially those from historically underserved communities, had access to robust learning opportunities. I have led projects that connect families with educational resources, like the Digital Backpack, which makes out-of-school learning opportunities visible to all Evanston residents. I helped expand access to STEM education in the Fifth Ward through a partnership between MetaMedia and Family Focus. I have worked alongside Evanston’s school and community leaders to design programs that build pathways for students into STEM, the arts, and other fields.

This work is not about a single program or initiative but changing how we design our opportunity landscape to ensure every child has the necessary resources to succeed. That commitment will not change, regardless of whether I serve on the school board.

Expanding Learning Opportunities: A Vision That Extends Beyond the School Board

Some have asked whether my candidacy is tied to my professional work. The truth is that my commitment to expanding opportunity in Evanston began long before this election, and it will continue long after. As a Northwestern professor, I secure funding from federal agencies, foundations, and private donors to support research and initiatives that connect academic expertise with real-world impact. None of this funding impacts my income beyond the standard allocation of summer salary. Instead, these funds support the teams of researchers, educators, and developers who create tools and programs that benefit communities—including Evanston.

Cities Learn, one of my lab’s key initiatives, exemplifies how this work serves the public good. Cities Learn is a platform designed to help communities analyze and improve their local learning ecosystems. While other cities pay to access this tool, Evanston receives it free of charge because I believe my home community should benefit from my work.

As a co-founder of STEAMe, I provide ongoing strategic guidance and support, engaging one afternoon weekly and as needed on demand. My role includes shaping the vision and aligning with broader educational and community goals.

But the real issue here is not about me—it’s about Evanston and whether we are willing to think boldly about how we design learning opportunities for our students. Schools are critical, but they cannot do this work alone. We must also look at how our city structures access to afterschool programs, how we design transportation options so that all students can participate, and how we ensure that information about opportunities is transparent and accessible to every family.

This is the work I have always done and will continue to do. Of course, as a board member, I will review all of my projects for conflicts of interest and report and address them appropriately. I will step down as director of OCEP, and like all other Northwestern staff who have served in public office, I will recuse myself when conflicts arise.

Why This Election Matters

District 65 is at a pivotal moment. The financial realities we face mean that decisions made now will shape Evanston’s ability to achieve both equity and excellence for years to come. I will bring to the board deep expertise in education and learning, a strong understanding of policy, the ability to build partnerships across the community, raise funds for large-scale educational initiatives, and bring national experts to the table when needed.

I am simply running because Evanston should be a place where every child can access the opportunities that will shape their future. I ask for your support not just for my candidacy but also for enacting a shared vision of Evanston where opportunity is not defined by geography, equity is intentional, and all students have the tools they need to excel and succeed.