Education Week calls Pittsburgh a model for innovation in education

Pittsburgh is at the head of the pack when it comes to innovations in education, says Education Week.  Our success is largely due to the strategic creation of an education innovation cluster (EIC) or a multidisciplinary approach to tackling the challenges facing our schools.

According to Education Week, Pittsburgh has one of the most mature EICs in the world with The Sprout Fund coordinating the efforts of nearly 200 local organizations creating tools, projects and programs for use in over 50 of our school districts. In addition to Pittsburgh, there are several other national and global EICs including New York City, Boston, New Orleans, Paris and London.

With technology playing an ever-increasing role in our lives, many clusters are devising new technological tools for student use. Pittsburgh has a few shining examples of this type of innovation, according to Education Week, including the creation of a gaming academy in the Elizabeth Forward school district and STEAM labs at South Fayette Township school district.

Gaming academies and STEAM labs are only some of the exciting innovations being tested in EICs worldwide. By networking these clusters together–to share insights and ideas–organizations may be inspired to do even more for their regions. Education Week announced that Digital Promise, a nonprofit dedicated to improving education through technology and research, is now working to create these links.

With the help of The Grable Foundation, Digital Promise will begin connecting American clusters with their counterparts in five other countries. By facilitating the exchange of ideas between these education powerhouses, Digital Promise hopes to spark advancements in the field and ensure the greatest impact for teachers and students on a global scale.

Read the full article here.

Featured photo: STEAM lab in South Fayette Township district, Photo by Kate Buckley