“To turn our public schools around we need to adopt the legendary Noah Principle: No more prizes for predicting rain. Prizes only for building arks.” (Louis Gerstner, Jr.)
Since America Succeeds was founded in 2014, our work always comes back to one thing: the learner. For the past decade, we have been driven by five core principles that are critical to the success of any organization and are equally as important in transforming the education system. Our core principle, “Customer-Focus,” means that we put students first in all of our practices. This value combined with our belief in the power of partnerships has led to years of exciting and impactful collaborations. Here are some of the partnerships that have taken place over the past decade:
Getting Smart
Getting Smart is unique in that it combines tailored advisory services with field-building advocacy. They serve as a central hub, facilitating movement building, cross-organization collaboration, and community organizing. Their mission is to unite impact-oriented partners, fostering a collaborative ecosystem that accelerates innovation in teaching, leading, and learning.
In January 2023, America Succeeds and Getting Smart partnered with Intuit to create a case study on the Design for Delight (D4D) summer camp program. This program helps students develop durable skills by engaging them in activities that foster deep customer empathy, creative thinking, and rapid experimentation. The case study highlights the effectiveness of these processes in preparing students for successful careers.
Check out the D4D case study.
CAPS Network
The CAPS Network is a nonprofit organization focused on paving the education-to-employment pathway through profession-based learning. The CAPS Model of career-focused education immerses high school students in a professional culture, solving real-world problems using industry-standard tools, and being mentored by actual employers. Today, the CAPS Network connects nearly 15,000 students across 22 states and four countries, embedding durable skills development into its core values.
Two years ago, the CAPS Network was introduced to America Succeeds and the durable skills movement at the CAPS Network’s Summer Huddle conference. Over the years, the CAPS Network has been one of the most supportive champions of durable skills development in the K12 space. Today, GO CAPS Monett is one of the four schools participating in Phase 1 of our Research Practice Collaborative. We’re extremely excited to have a CAPS Network school joining us in the advancement and scalability of durable skills implementation.
In our latest ‘Durable Skills in Action’ submission, Nate Clayberg, CEcD – Business and Industry Director at the CAPS Network, shares how CAPS is bridging the skills gap and equipping our future workforce to make a lasting impact. Check it out here.
Learner-centered Collaborative
Learner-Centered Collaborative is a non-profit dedicated to redefining education by putting learners at the center. With decades of experience across various educational roles, their team partners with schools, districts, and states to create personalized, equitable, and competency-based learning environments. Their mission is to ensure all learners have the opportunity to thrive and actively engage in their communities.
In the summer of 2022, we partnered with the Indiana Department of Education (INDoE) and Learner-Centered Collaborative to support the Employability Skills Innovation and Implementation (ESII) Grant. This initiative aimed to integrate collaboration, communication, and work ethic into the curriculum of 58 Indiana schools. Our collaboration resulted in an Employability Skills Playbook, a case study, and an engaging video, all designed to inspire and guide educators nationwide in fostering these essential skills in their students.
50CAN
50CAN hosts the annual 50CAN Summit, where we have had the opportunity to speak about engaging business leaders in aligning our education system with workforce needs, including equipping students with durable skills. At the state level, their local advocacy campaigns serve as thought leaders and collaborators, keeping a pulse on emerging issues and championing student-centered system change (for example, establishing greater transparency around school finance in New Mexico). Through formal programming, professional learning, and networking events, 50CAN helps leaders leverage the power of connection to improve education policy and practice.
PIE Network
The PIE Network connects, strengthens, and catalyzes the work of education advocates across communities, states, and ideologies. PIE Network shares strategies, lessons learned, tools, and know-how from state advocates and national partners, helping leaders make a compelling case for policy change and achieve breakthroughs. We’ve been honored to attend the PIE Summit throughout the years to build momentum around our Durable Skills Initiative, learn from colleagues, and build connections to drive change.
Skillsline
Skillsline is a human skills company using modern technology and learning science to increase access to durable skills development. In July 2023, America Succeeds partnered with Skillsline to conduct the “Bridging the Gap” case study which looked at the effectiveness of the Skillsline platform in helping cultivate durable skills. This study, led by Dr. Ana Greif in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University, demonstrated the significant improvement in participants’ durable skills and workplace behavior through Skillsline’s engaging mobile learning platform.
Later in the year, America Succeeds partnered with Skillsline to host a webinar series focused on the benefits of durable skills development. The webinars highlighted:
- The importance of company culture in developing durable skills in the workplace.
- The role of experiential learning in K12 education systems.
- The need for durable skills development to prepare workers for an AI-driven future.
Edmentum
Edmentum creates learning technology solutions designed to support educators and supplement existing curricula. They reach over 43,000 schools, 420,000 educators, and 5.2 million students worldwide.
In a first-of-its-kind partnership, Edmentum and America Succeeds are working together to integrate the Durable Skills Framework into Edmentum’s robust catalog of middle and high school Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses. This collaboration aims to enhance student outcomes by providing access to high-quality resources that support the development of durable skills. Learn more about the partnership here.
Conclusion
Our partnerships with these outstanding organizations exemplify the strength of collaboration in the K12 education space. With the support of others, we are committed to expanding access to durable skills development opportunities and ensuring that quality education remains a top priority. We invite you to explore these initiatives further and join us in our mission to empower all learners to thrive in a complex world.
