Dear friends, supporters, and partners,
It’s not a stretch to say this has been a banner year for Digital Promise. The organization continues to grow in reach and impact. Not too long ago, in 2021, we celebrated our tenth anniversary and subsequently developed a set of goals and a strategic framework for the next 10 years. We continue to march towards the outcomes and impact we aim to see, and below I share some highlights.
Our strategic framework outlines our work in inclusive innovation; our learning sciences research, much of which is conducted alongside our networks of some of the most innovative schools and leaders in the nation; and our work in education technology innovation, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in teaching and learning. While some were caught by surprise by the explosive growth of generative AI in education in the last year, we have long been working in this space, and we also know AI has been in education in some form for nearly 50 years. Our work on AI leans on policy and innovation, but it also leans on how practitioners can leverage AI to advance powerful learning in multiple ways.
In the last year, our work has also included an effort to reinvent how competencies in K-12, post-secondary education, and the workforce are connected, as well as the expansion of computational thinking pathways work in schools. These pathways focus on learning by emphasizing the specific skills that learners will develop over time, not only the tools they will use. A number of districts in the League of Innovative Schools are leading the way on developing computational thinking pathways for learners because they understand, as we do, that this is an effective way to prepare young people for the future of work.
Additionally, our Global Education team has taken shape and we are deliberately moving forward with engagements across multiple continents. While our work in Haiti has evolved, we are proud of the work of our partners on the ground to bring hybrid and remote learning to underserved parts of the country. Our Global Cities Education Network has also expanded to include more diverse voices and we look forward to their full engagement in the coming years.
As you move through this annual report, you will see that we have many more areas of accomplishment. This includes a number of groundbreaking papers that we published on topics like digital equity and digital transformation, sparking discussions on what must be done to better prepare and shape the future of education. The papers outline the foundation necessary to support school systems, educators, and learners in harnessing technology to improve learner outcomes and help leapfrog inequality. We also continue to be proud of the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools program and the impact we have achieved through our partnership with Verizon, now reaching about 600 schools nationwide. These efforts are at the core of our digital equity work and central to our vision of learning experiences that lead to well-being, fulfillment, and economic mobility.
I am grateful for your support and partnership.
Jean-Claude Brizard
CEO, Digital Promise
2022 Annual Report