INNOVATION AWARDS
- Application deadline: October 15, 2007
- Amounts: $250,000 and $100,000
- Duration: Feb 1, 2008–Jan 31, 2009
- Other support: mentoring, end-of-year conference showcase
About Innovation
Learning environments are changing dramatically. Not only do young people have easy access to enormous amounts of information—they are participating in media rather than simply consuming it. They receive immediate feedback on performance, sharing their products nationally if not internationally. They participate in broad scale simulations emulating real world complexity. Furthermore, such learning environments are often youth-led, thereby altering significantly the roles and contributions of adults and experts.
As early research begins to illuminate changes occurring in young people who are “growing up digital,” the time is ripe to translate this research into concrete designs for new kinds of learning environments.
Innovation Awards
Innovation Awards are intended to appeal to pioneers, builders of new digital learning environments. These might include, for example, a major adaptation of gaming, world building, or social networking environments (such as MySpace or Facebook) designed for educational contexts; or entirely new programs.
Innovation projects:
- explore new digital models of learning that build upon and enhance the informal, networked, and collaborative learning styles of youth today, extending them more broadly.
- demonstrate new modes of learning.
- bridge diverse communities, in most cases reaching across generations and enabling youth (and those who teach them) to learn from one another.
Learning environments addressed by Innovation projects include any and all of the emerging contexts used to facilitate learning in a digital age, such as:
- the physical environment and how it is mediated;
- learning tools (text-books, toys, technologies);
- the involvement of peer learners;
- the role of adults, as well as learning by adults;
- the deliberate activities used (i.e., curriculum).
Review the list of Sample Innovation projects.
Innovation Details
Applicants should have established track records or solid prototypes, and a strong commitment to making possible new ways of learning, as opposed to simply creating new content.
Partnerships are encouraged, but individuals are also welcome to apply.
Up to eight Innovation Awards of $100,000 or $250,000 each will be made. The larger award is reserved for projects that require greater start-up funds due to the complex nature of the collaboration, fabrication costs, or other expenditures. A budget justifying all costs will be required of all applicants.
As an additional resource to help projects succeed, all awardees will participate in peer-mentoring through an online discussion forum and bimonthly conference calls during the first phase of the grant term. Competition consultants will also be available to help with any aspect of the project, including budget and project management and technology advice.
Innovation Award winners will convene at the completion of the grant period to showcase their work. Other digital innovators, representatives from industry, venture capitalists, foundations, and the media will be invited to view the work of awardees. This conference may provide the opportunity for networking which could facilitate next-phase project development. Awardees wishing to attend this conference (which is strongly encouraged) should allot funds for travel to a two-day conference in Chicago in their proposed budgets.
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To begin the application process, click the Apply button below. Potential applicants are not required to finish an application once they begin. Only completed applications will be reviewed. Applicants are strongly urged to start the process well in advance of the deadline to allow time to resolve any questions they may have.
