The R&D to realize learner-centered ecosystems is moving into a new phase!
We’re proud to announce the Learner-Centered Ecosystem Lab as the next step in our work to catalyze public K–12 education systems transformation through the invention of learner-centered ecosystems. The Lab consists of twelve sites co-creating pilots of learner-centered ecosystems with their communities. In this effort, they are prototyping new approaches—redefining learning experiences, creating shared visions within communities, and developing new and practical possibilities for the infrastructure that powers transformation. Demonstrating what this work can make possible and what it requires across diverse community contexts is imperative to our aim of bringing to life transformed public education systems capable of equitably serving our nation’s 70+ million children and hundreds of unique communities.
What is the Learner-Centered Ecosystem Lab?
The purpose of the Lab is to provide targeted support to accelerate on-the-ground learner-centered ecosystem invention so that we can demonstrate what these transformed public education systems can look like and make possible for our nation’s children and communities. In a twelve-month experience, Lab members will work to grow their learner-centered ecosystems alongside other inventors building ecosystems in their own communities. Lab members will use shared frameworks to learn from other learner-centered ecosystem initiatives; push and clarify their and the field’s understanding of what learner-centered ecosystems look like and require; and contribute their work, learnings, and new questions to a growing national movement.
Lab members will learn from one another as they prototype, test, and integrate solutions to the digital, physical, and social infrastructure challenges they identify as they bring to life local ecosystem manifestations. The leaders of these sites will have the opportunity to work with a broad network of cross-sector experts, who are aligned toward ecosystem R&D and will offer insight and connections to solution providers.
As conveners of this Lab, we will support robust cross-community collaboration; connect Lab members with support, inspiration, and field expertise; learn with and from them; and research their work and impact. As we support the sites’ work, we will illuminate stories, lessons learned, and new questions discovered to fuel other communities’ inventions and inform policymakers, funders, and other decision maker’s efforts. We will pursue such questions as:
- How do learner-centered ecosystems foster equitable learner outcomes and community well-being?
- What types of leadership and conditions are most conducive to the development and sustainability of learner-centered ecosystems?
- What are the most prevalent digital, physical, and social infrastructural challenges ecosystem inventors face? What solutions are already showing promise?
Who is involved?
The Lab is powered by a dynamic group of leaders who have not only revolutionized learner-centered experiences but have also built deep, trusting connections with local families and community stakeholders. Their commitment to equity in public education drives their continued innovation, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in ecosystem design.
Each site represents a unique and vital perspective, intentionally selected for their diversity—urban, rural, and Indigenous communities are all part of this collective. From district-led charters and microschools to out-of-school time organizations, these sites are at the forefront of shaping the future of education, each bringing a bold, inspiring approach to creating transformative learning environments.
Lab members include: Big Thought, Purdue Polytechnic High School, Spark NC, Lab School of Memphis, FabNewport, Norris Academy, the Columbus EcosySTEM Initiative by the PAST Foundation, Rock Tree Sky, Runway Green, Liberty Public Schools, BPL Native American Initiative/South Valley High School, and NACA Inspired Schools Network.
What else is new?
As part of this announcement, we’re pleased to share six new distinctions for learner-centered ecosystems as an addition to our original Practitioner’s Lexicon. This technical document is intended to help ecosystem builders, educators, and the larger field distinguish a learner-centered ecosystem, as well as the components embedded in it. As with our long-standing Practitioner’s Lexicon, these new distinctions have emerged from what we’ve seen and heard in the field and will evolve as we work with communities on the ground. You can read all of the distinctions here.
We’re excited to be working with these innovative communities more closely than ever to collectively build a reimagined public education system for all. These sites are a constant reminder of what’s possible through collaboration, innovation, and community. By contributing their insights and breakthroughs to the broader field, they are not just shaping their own ecosystems—they’re leading the charge toward a transformative shift in education. Together, we are laying the foundation for a future where learner-centered ecosystems become a powerful model for equitable, community-driven education nationwide.
