InnovateK12 Update: June 8, 2020
Hello, Friends.
In this time of great unrest, where our entire paradigm has shifted overnight, we are presented with a tremendous opportunity to reposition public education to better ensure that learners are equipped and prepared to learn deeply, contribute meaningfully, and lead in the quickly evolving and unknown future.

We must challenge the assumptions we hold of public education and ask better questions in order to imagine innovative possibilities and more effective outcomes. 

InnovateK12, in collaboration with ERDI, is launching a collaborative, open campaign on the future of education. We are inviting educators, parents, students and community members from around the country to participate in a crowdsourcing campaign to identify the best solutions and opportunities to “pivot” K-12 education. 

The Time is Now
We recognize that schools and districts are facing challenges at every level of their respective ecosystems. Add to that the fact that the very essence of our communities is being tested and questioned due to recent divisive events that have roiled our nation. But there are also great commonalities across our country that we share when it comes to public education, and those include our mutual ambition to help ALL students succeed. The ramifications of the COVID-19 epidemic, combined with the racial strife that is testing the diverse fabric of our communities, require us to pivot away from the status quo . It is more important than ever before, to involve ALL of our stakeholders in conjuring and designing a new more flexible and equitable learning experience for ALL of our students.

Visit Pivot.Education to learn more!


InnovateK12 Updates
Pivot.Education - In case you missed the announcement above, InnovateK12 is partnering with ERDI to launch a public campaign to PIVOT EDUCATION . This is big. Crowdsourcing ideas is powerful. We believe it is our obligation to create this opportunity for conversation on how to pivot education.

There is an unrelenting force that pulls us to return to what we've always known, toward familiarity and comfort. However, we must resist the urge to “do what we’ve always done.” We must identify critical “pivot points” where we can leverage the momentum for change and pivot towards a new future. These “pivot points” are all around us and are key to affecting education at every level: the classroom, school, community and policy level.

We have identified four pivot points to launch this campaign. As members and friends of InnovateK12, we invite and encourage you to jump in and participate. We intend to launch this campaign more broadly in the coming weeks.

Interested in sponsoring the campaign or becoming a part of the Pivot Team? Click here for more information .
Spring Sprint for Understanding - There are number of InnovateK12 member districts who ran sprint challenges this spring to engage their staff and students and answer some of their more pressing questions. Check it out!
Innovation Summit Update - Our annual innovation summit has become the time and place where we immerse new members in our network; providing them with foundational training and the inspiration of the network that they need to more forward. And.... as is the case with so many events this summer, our face-to-face summit has been cancelled. In lieu of our annual networking event we will make sure that all members have access to foundational training with a large dose of inspiration from the network! Check out our plan.
Shifting the Innovation Model - As a result COVID-19 and the many unknowns we face in education and the upcoming school year, we are encouraging a  nimble and pervasive  use of the innovation platform as an  option  to focusing on a one-time innovation event. We are encouraging you to lean into your crowd to find the best solutions to acute challenges you face today and months from now. Read more here.
Contact Us! - We anticipate that this upcoming year will be filled with wonderful opportunities for districts to engage staff, students and community in an innovative and engaging process to determine strategic direction as well as imagine innovative ideas for a new normal.

We are building our 2020-21 InnovateK12 Member Cohort. If you would like to learn more about how the InnovateK12 Toolkit can benefit your district in the upcoming year, click here .

We are especially looking to grow our networks and build regional innovation hubs in Atlanta, Colorado, Ohio and Oregon.

Learn more about InnovateK12
The Innovate12 model has four key phases, which span the course of one school year:

Phase 1: Leadership Development - The key to a strong innovation program is a team of people who can effectively lead the change process. Innovate K12 supports the development of explicit skills and strategies that leaders will use to guide their event. Leadership development occurs throughout the year, but the core learning is launched during the summer at the annual InnovateK12 Summit. This summer, members will enjoy a webinar series in place of the Innovation Summit.

Phase 2: Crowd-Based Innovation -​ Many of our members will launch a 6-8 week innovation event in the fall. Other members use the innovation platform as a strategic change management tool throughout the year. In either situation, the InnovateK12 team will work closely with you to identify your innovation goals, create a communication plan, launch your event, and maximize use of the innovation platform to provide you with insight into the wisdom of your “crowd.” 

Phase 3: Design Workshops -​ Once you have identified top ideas, the InnovateK12 team will take your innovation team through a train-the-trainer workshop to provide your team with principles of human-centered design and lean start-up so that your team will have the knowledge and skills necessary to take top ideas through design sprints. In the end, your innovation team and design workshop participants will take pride in well-designed prototypes that can be implemented quickly.

Phase 4: Prototype Management - ​The most critical phase of the innovation process is testing prototypes. By using data to continually iterate, refine, and improve the prototypes, design teams will be able to determine solution viability. This process is iterative and can span multiple school years. However, well-designed solutions that grow in this way are often accompanied by strong buy-in and support from stakeholders. The InnovateK12 team will provide you with guidelines for testing and recommendations for communicating project updates.