How HundrED is supporting Educational Innovation that Inspires – We Got The Funk
Education is always changing, shifting and working to improve from previous generations. HundrED is supporting educational innovation that inspires teachers, students and learners all over the world. Read more to learn about HundrED and their spotlight on Carnegie Library of Pittsburghs Labs.
This post was written in partnership with The Motherhood and sponsored by The Grable Foundation. Photos courtesy of Remake Learning and Ben Filio.
Educational Innovation that Inspires
I am in my 11th year of teacher and just like most teachers, the beginning of the year is the most exciting and full of promise. It is our time to reinvent, to try new things and to be innovators while shaping the minds of these precious students.
As educators, we spend a good portion of our time researching and learning about new ways to reach students and how to keep them engaged. We all know that when we can engage a student, they can learn and that the more innovative we are, the more excitement it will generate. Helping to generate excitement and spread those innovations is a program called HundrED.
What is HundrED?
HundrED is a global organization with goals to research and share education innovations around the world. They are based in Finland (which has a top-ranked educational system) and they believe that to achieve positive change, students need to be exposed to impactful and scalable innovations. They want to inspire, educate and spread those incredible ideas across the world.
HundrED does this by spotlighting local partner organizations, focusing on a location or a theme to research and then they share those innovative, impactful and scalable ideas with the world. This spotlighting provides a focused and deep insight into the theme or location they are collaborating with. What a way for educators to learn and cross collaborate! I for one am really excited to learn and grow through the resources and spotlight areas that HundrED is working with.
Pittsburgh Spotlighted
One of the regions that HundrED is currently spotlighting is Pittsburgh. In collaboration with The Grable Foundation and Remake Learning, they are the first North American City selected to spotlight the educational innovation happening in the region and the inspiring ideas coming out of there are getting their first exposure to an international audience.
Remake Learning plays a key role in Pittsburgh as they are a regional network of more than 600 schools, libraries, museums and other sites of learning. The goal is to ignite engaging, relevant and equitable learning practices to support our youth in navigating the rapid social and technological change. Over the past 12+ years Remake Learning has grown and put Pittsburgh on the map as a recognized leader in learning and educational innovation both nationally and around the world.
Over 82 submissions were sent to HundrED from the Pittsburgh-area and only 12 were selected to be shared as models and inspiration for other educators around the world. The Pittsburgh region was chosen as the educators there have been taking risks, reaching higher and pushing the limits of learning for more than a decade. It is home to a deeply connected and highly coordinated education innovation ecosystem which holds the potential to help children flourish.
This year in November, the 12 Pittsburgh programs spotlighted will be traveling to Helsinki, Finland to present those innovative ideas at the annual HundrED Global Innovation Summit. You can learn more about the 12 selected innovations by checking out this link. More eyes, more innovation, better educational systems and more learning for both students and educators alike. Sounds like a win to me!
CLP Labs
One of the 12 innovations selected by HundrED out of the Pittsburgh area is the CLP Labs. CLP is the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and the labs are summer skills intensives that are giving teens access to technology, mentors and community partners to help them pursue their creative passions right at their local library.
As free, public spaces between students school and home life, libraries can play a special role and be a safe place for teens to be outside of of their caregivers’ direct supervision, while learning and exploring various forms of literacy and connecting to resources and opportunities within their community.
Each of the 18 Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s locations have dedicated teen spaces that allow teens that safe space to learn, relax and geek out. Each summer, the CLP labs offer teens a chance to spend 5 days exploring a creative field under amazing mentors. Teens can learn about video making, music production, street art, computer science, and more through teaching artists who are flourishing in these fields. You can learn more about the CLP labs here.
What educational innovation would you love to learn about?
Thank you Mrs. Funk! Thank you notes from 55 of my students! *tears*