New School Models Design Lab III

The Conditions for Innovation

Radical transformation in education is possible, but only when strong local conditions are in place. The nature of those local conditions—and how to nurture their growth—are among the most important lessons that a leader or leadership team can learn.

New School Models Design Lab II

Equips leaders and their teams with the knowledge and skills to understand and cultivate the conditions for innovation that must be present locally for transformative, self-directed, equitable learning environments to take root and grow successfully.

Join our 3 Day workshop: June 7,8,9 (3:00PM-6:00PM Eastern Time)

Are you interested in building a Blueprint for a New School or Learning Model? Express your interest below!

Name

First Name

Last Name

Email

What's your role in your organization?

Are you planning to launch a new learning environment or redesign an existing one?

If you are looking to launch a new school, what year do you plan to launch?

Why are you interested in participating in our New School Models Design Lab? Tell us more about the project/opportunity in front of you and what you hope to gain from this experience?

We would love to hear more about the community you are (existing schools) or plan (new schools) to serve. What information do you have about the community/neighborhood? What can you tell us about student demographics including: grade levels served, number of students, percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch, school race/ethnicity composition, etc. (we'll take any statistics or community information you have!)

Tell us more about the team that will be working on the project. What are their experiences and superpowers? How will they support your work? Feel free to throw in LinkedIn profiles! (and if you're a team of one that's ok too!)

How did you hear about this opportunity?

Conditions for Innovation

To explore the conditions for innovation, this Institute anchors in Transcend’s Conditions for Innovation framework, which suggests that a community’s ability to engage in innovation depends on several crucial factors, including their capacity, internal culture, conviction that change is necessary, clarity on their context, goals, and strategy, and the depth, breadth, and diversity of their coalition for change. Participants of this Institute will explore how to use the framework for reflection and self-assessment, strategic planning and decision making, professional development, collective action, partnership vetting, and vision casting.
In addition, this Institute draws on multiple leadership theories, case studies, and strategies that will develop a leader’s and/or leadership team’s capacity to grow—and sustain over time—the conditions for innovation. Institute participants will learn ways to grow local conviction for innovation, to improve their clarity of vision, to build a culture of innovation in their organization, to fully align resources with innovation goals, and to develop a coalition of support.
Similar to how trees need good soil to live and grow, innovative learning communities require strong conditions perpetually. Thus, paying close attention to conditions for innovation is applicable for teams at any stage of the innovation journey—whether they’re building a new learning model, advancing or improving an existing learning community, or codifying and sharing an education innovation. The experiences of this Institute are also relevant across a wide range of education settings—including districts, charter, and private; rural, urban, and suburban; and in- and out-of-school.
**What You'll Gain**
Self-assess the strength of your local conditions for innovation
Acquire tools and resources to strengthen your local conditions for innovation
Build greater understanding of the education innovation journey
**Who Should Enroll**
Individuals who affect the design and/or implementation of an emerging or existing transformative learning environment
Individuals who support teams that affect the design and/or implementation of an transformative learning environment
**Key Topics**
Conditions for Innovation in Education
Leadership and Change Management
Future Trends in K-12 Schooling
Education Innovation Process

Facilitator

Dr. Tyler Thigpen

Co-founder and head, The Forest School and Institute for Self Directed Learning

Academic Director, University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education

Full Bio

I found it really helpful to have specific strategies for each of the conditions. And I appreciate all of the feedback!

— Design Lab participant