Curriculum

Elementary

Social Studies

Middle School

Social Studies

Upcoming Product webinar

Explore

inquiry journeys logo

Looking to deepen your understanding of what high-quality, inquiry-based social studies looks like in practice? Join inquirED this fall for Exploring Inquiry Journeys, a webinar series designed to support school and district leaders. Each session offers practical insights into our K–5 social studies curriculum and the strategies schools are using to engage students, support teachers, and build consistency across classrooms.

Register
Professional Learning
Resources

Resource Collections

Downloadable guides, frameworks, and tools designed to help district leaders take action on social studies curriculum and instruction.

Blog

Fresh ideas, research, and reflections to help district leaders stay sharp and responsive in an evolving social studies landscape.

Webinars

Real-time conversations and on-demand learning with experts and district leaders tackling challenges in social studies education.

NCSS & inquirED

Product Webinars

Webinar Library

free resource

Inquiry in Social Studies Guide

Use this clear to guide to bring inquiry to life in social studies classrooms through questions, investigation, and collaborative learning.

Download
Log inContact sales
Log in
Contact sales
two inquired employees talking

Hi! We’re inquirED.

inquirED works to support every teacher with high-quality instructional materials that make inquiry-based learning possible for every student.

Our mission is

inquiry for every student

Teachers and instructional leaders want classrooms that are rigorous and joyful. They want learning that leads to standards mastery and transfers to the real world. But most instructional materials don’t meet this complex challenge. Instead, educators are forced to choose: rigorous or joyful, academic or applicable. inquirED’s instructional materials support educators in navigating that complexity. Together, we make joyful, rigorous, and transferable learning possible for every student.

Like all good stories in education, inquirED’s started in a classroom

Shanti Elangovan founded inquirED with a clear vision: to bring inquiry-based learning to every classroom.

As a former teacher and curriculum leader, she saw firsthand how traditional instruction often left students disengaged, and how inquiry sparked curiosity, deepened knowledge-building, and transformed learning.

But she also knew that teachers needed more than inspiration. They needed well-designed materials that made inquiry doable, not daunting. That’s why she launched inquirED: to support teachers, schools, and districts with high-quality materials that make joyful, rigorous, and transferable learning possible for every student.

Today, that vision lives on in classrooms across the country, where inquirED’s materials spark curiosity, build deep knowledge, and connect learning to the real world. For Shanti—and for inquirED—inquiry isn’t the end goal. It’s the starting point for deeper understanding and lifelong learning.

picture of shanti, inquired ceo

How we work

01

We are fiercely passionate.

We believe in the power of our work, are infinitely optimistic about its potential, and humbled by the weight of our goals. We keep students, teachers, and their communities at the center of everything.

02

We take responsibility.

We do work we are proud of, act with agency, and take responsibility for all aspects of the work. We hustle, struggle, and then hustle some more. We own our mistakes, ask for and offer support, and solve problems.

03

We check our egos.

We collaborate with trust, humility and empathy, listen intently, and laugh as much as possible. We believe in the immense abilities of each individual, debate vigorously, and make it about the work.

04

We are unfinished.

We take risks, embrace imperfection, and challenge assumptions. We give, receive, and seek courageously honest feedback and stay nimble enough to act – even when it means starting over.

Interested in a career at inquirED?

Job opportunities

Meet our team

We are on a mission to engage students and support teachers by making inquiry-based learning possible in every classroom.

Shanti

Elangovan

CEO and Founder 

Shanti

Elangovan

CEO and Founder 

Shanti Elangovan is the founder and CEO of inquirED. She founded inquirED to help ensure all students, regardless of geography or circumstance, have the opportunity to engage in high-quality inquiry-based learning. As a former elementary school classroom teacher and instructional coach, Shanti believes deeply in high-quality instructional materials that provide both the professional learning and support teachers need to bring inquiry to life in their classrooms. Shanti holds an M.Ed. from Teachers College and an MBA from the University of Iowa.

What’s your inquiry?

How can every child access the same kind of education that I’d want for my children?

Elisabeth Ventling

Simon

Chief Academic Officer and Co-Founder

Elisabeth Ventling

Simon

Chief Academic Officer and Co-Founder

Elisabeth is an ardent educator committed to advancing equity in education, driven by her belief in the transformative potential of high-quality instructional materials, student-centered content, and teacher empathy. With a career spanning over 16 years in public education, she witnessed firsthand the remarkable impact of rigorous, inquiry-based learning on student engagement and achievement. Elisabeth's vision is one where every student, regardless of their background, enjoys equal access to the resources and opportunities necessary for success in both school and civic life. This vision propels her work as Chief Academic Officer at inquirED, where she has been a member of the team since the fall of 2017.

What’s your inquiry?

How can education prepare students to impact their world for the better?

founding team

Erin

Provenzano

Supervising Manager, Curriculum Materials Design

Erin

Provenzano

Supervising Manager, Curriculum Materials Design

After earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design, Erin discovered a passion for creating fun, engaging artwork for children. Collaborating with educators across the country, she has worked for over eight years designing hundreds of educational products aimed toward grades Pre-K–8. Her work is imbued with joy and purpose knowing the positive impact it has on the next generation. She joined the inquirED team in the spring of 2021.

What’s your inquiry?

How can I contribute more beauty to the world?

founding team

Robert

Rico

Principal Software Engineer

Robert

Rico

Principal Software Engineer

Rob joined inquirED in October 2020 after eight years of developing software and technology in a range of industries. As the first in-house engineer, Rob is excited to bring his education in computer science to better prepare students for their life’s journey through the fusion of inquiry-based instruction and technology. Rob’s focus at inquirED is leading the engineering team in maintaining and upgrading the main inquirED platform

What’s your inquiry?

How can technology be designed to make learning easy, accessible, and fun?

founding team

Rukiya

Ross

Head of Operations

Rukiya

Ross

Head of Operations

A proud Detroiter, Rukiya noticed the lack of equity in classroom materials during her high school years. This sparked a passion in education that she explored through her studies at Princeton and ultimately continued to pursue in her professional life. A builder and process lover, Rukiya spent eight years building the operations function at a literacy organization. She enjoys ensuring processes are accessible and reflective of organization values, particularly DEI. Rukiya joined inquirED in summer 2024.

What’s your inquiry?

How can processes reflect DEI principles and support more children having access to high-quality instruction?

founding team

Jeremiah

Satterthwaite

Curriculum Materials Design Lead

Jeremiah

Satterthwaite

Curriculum Materials Design Lead

With a B.A. in Fine Art and an M.A. in Special Education, Jeremiah has long worked at the intersection of art and education. As a creative professional, he has worked in design, photography, and creative media production. As an educator, he has taught special education, technology, and life skills. In February 2022, Jeremiah joined the inquirED team, bringing all of his experiences together to impact students and support teachers. Jeremiah lives in Minneapolis, MN.

What’s your inquiry?

In a Venn diagram of Universal Design, Culturally Responsive Education, and Aesthetics: How do I make work that lives at the center?

founding team

Kelsey

Schoppen

Growth Marketing Lead

Kelsey

Schoppen

Growth Marketing Lead

Kelsey has always had a passion for teaching and sharing her knowledge. At an early age, she started teaching her younger brother (and anyone else who would listen) with a toy chalkboard. This passion evolved into a career teaching Language Arts to middle school students and later into her work in EdTech, talking and teaching about the tools that make teacher’s lives a little easier. Besides her love of education, she enjoys being outside, kayaking, reading, chai tea lattes, and her dog Hurley. She joined the inquirED team in the Spring of 2024.

What’s your inquiry?

How much better would the world be if our pets could talk to us?

founding team

Mandi

Schultz

Associate Director, Publishing

Mandi

Schultz

Associate Director, Publishing

Mandi comes to inquirED with over a decade of classroom teaching experience. She earned a Master's in Education from Wright State University and went on to teach in both Cincinnati and Dayton, OH. During her time as a classroom educator, she was immersed in project and inquiry-based learning. These experiences helped shape her belief that cultural responsiveness and active investigation are both necessary in developing engaged and critical thinkers. Mandi joined the inquirED team in January 2022.

What’s your inquiry?

How can we cultivate respect, equity, and inclusion?

founding team

Jane

Shields

Supervising Lead, Assessment and Alignment

Jane

Shields

Supervising Lead, Assessment and Alignment

Jane has several years of experience teaching secondary ELA in South Carolina. While teaching, Jane experienced firsthand the impact a high-quality curriculum can have on a student's learning experiences. This sparked a passion for curriculum development, and she went on to pursue master’s and doctoral studies in education. Jane currently holds an M.Ed. and an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Virginia. She joined the inquirED team in June 2021 and is enthusiastic about supporting student learning through inquiry-based curriculum.

What’s your inquiry?

How can high-quality assessments support teaching and learning?

founding team

Amanda

Shroyer

Senior Partnerships Specialist

Amanda

Shroyer

Senior Partnerships Specialist

Prior to joining inquirED in the summer of 2023, Amanda worked as a high school science teacher before making the switch to edtech sales. She has long been passionate about increasing access to and nurturing student excitement for learning. She is excited to partner with schools and districts to bring inquiry into their classrooms. Amanda holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

What’s your inquiry?

How can individuals outside of the classroom positively impact teachers and students?

founding team

Anthony

Sievert

Supervising Lead, Disciplinary Architecture

Anthony

Sievert

Supervising Lead, Disciplinary Architecture

Prior to joining inquirED, Tony spent 10 years serving in various education capacities as a secondary social studies teacher, an assessment specialist, an instructional coach, and a social studies curriculum specialist for a large, urban school district. Through these experiences, he has created, curated, and facilitated the adoption and implementation of inquiry-based social studies curricular resources at all grade levels. Tony earned his B.A. in Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School. He joined the inquirED team in the summer of 2021.

What’s your inquiry?

How can we create experiences that activate curiosity in every student, in every classroom?

1

Take a closer look at Inquiry Journeys

Inquiry Journeys (K–5 social studies curriculum) provides inquiry-based instruction for young learners through hands-on investigations and primary source analysis. Explore how elementary students build knowledge and skills by asking questions, analyzing evidence, and connecting learning to their lives and communities.

Learn more

Schedule a demo

Contact us

Ready to learn more?

Connect with someone from the inquirED team to schedule a demo or learn more about our products.

Connect with us

Want the latest webinars, resources, and tools? Sign up for inquirED’s newsletter.

About inquirED

About UsOur TeamCareers

Get in touch

SalesGeneral Inquiries

Social

LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube

© {year} inquirED LLC. All rights reserved.

Data + Security
|
Privacy Policy
|
Terms and Conditions