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COVID REDUX. A variant, government leader squabbles, masks and more are making the headlines, but it’s the innovations that abound from pre-K to gray as #ASU+GSV Summiteers say that should be guiding what and how we do school now and in the future.

BLENDED AND PERSONALIZED. Take DaVinci Schools, one of a few public charter school networks which has mastered the concept of blended learning and maximized opportunities for students–kindergarten or post-secondary. Their Connect High School allows students to earn a two- or four-year college degree, for free. Da Vinci RISE High utilizes flex-scheduling and credit recovery to support youth specifically navigating foster care, housing instability, probation and other academically disruptive circumstances. DaVinci isn’t alone but it’s clear that their harnessing of innovation and delivery of virtual learning opportunities is setting the standard high.

HIGHER ED HAS BEEN A MODEL as we have learned, for blended and virtual learning for years before a pandemic foisted it more fully upon K-12.  ASU, the co-founder of the summit, surpasses itself year after year. A new partnership with CEO Walter Parkes will provide a one-of-a-kind VR immersion education experience, Dreamscape Learn, to students. High school partner ASU Prep Digital, long a leader in virtual education, has partnered with Encantos to “help reimagine elementary education for kids.” Then there are the partnerships between companies like 2U and famed HBCU Morehouse College, along with Boston-based Simmons University, making education available to people beyond the college campus. Coursera is helping US business upskill the workforce, EdX is doing micro-bachelors programs and more… and the reality is, that innovation is available to anyone who has the appetite.

MICROSCHOOLS ‘A PLENTY. The focus of creating and growing new learning communities for students is all the rage and Getting Smart’s Tom VanderArk walked his session through precisely how to do it. Micro schools can be used as short term pilots to try out an idea and gauge its efficacy, implement targeted new learning models for specific students, or as innovation hubs to then scale to successful schools. “Microschools make learning personal through unique themes and community connected experiences while providing a path to innovation for districts,” said VanderArk. Just take a look at Edge, a student-driven, competency-based microschool within the Liberty, MO public school system.

SOME MICROSCHOOLS ARE PERMISSIONLESS. They don’t need approval from states, districts or traditional education structures. They demonstrate that learning can indeed happen anywhere, if fueled by great technology, content, and pedagogy. Check out Prenda, or Kaipod, as just two examples of pod-providers working hand in hand with parents.

THE IMPORTANCE OF INNOVATIVE OPTIONS. While online learning might not be the best option for everyone, for those that it is best for, it is everything. That sentiment, courtesy of Mickey Revenaugh, head of Pearson’s global virtual education efforts and a co-founder of Connections Education, is one we all share. She talked about the need for programs to be high quality and accessible, that school is more than curriculum. Superintendents, Executive Directors and CEOs gave their different perspectives on the dynamic world of virtual learning, but all agreed that families deserve options when returning to school this fall, that it’s important to get creative and not go back to “comfortable,” by executing on revolutionary ways to create robust hybrid and virtual learning environments for students.

GO FORWARD WITH STOP.  What if we told you that organizations and individuals who went above and beyond for kids during Covid qualify for a $1 million prize? If you hadn’t heard about the big announcement at the ASU+GSV Summit, you’ll be thrilled to know that due to a partnership with a wonderful ally and philanthropist, CER is administering the new S.T.O.P. Award for Education – to reward one best-in-class provider who delivered outstanding education when it was most needed. STOP embodies the mission of a new fund CER is administering that seeks to scale K-12 education opportunities that are Sustainable, Transformational, Outstanding, and Permissionless. “We are proud to highlight the type of innovative work that will chart the future for sustainable and transformational opportunities for students — in permissionless settings,” said CER’s Jeanne Allen.

Details about the $1 million prize, including how to apply, will be available on STOPAward.com on September 8, 2021.  For information, write [email protected]