Empowering Tomorrow's Leaders Today: The League of Innovative Students

Key Ideas

At the heart of the League of Innovative Students (LOIS) is the belief that students should not only be recipients of education, but also active contributors in shaping the future of the education landscape.
Through LOIS, students have the opportunity to work alongside district leaders, edtech product developers, and education researchers in addressing some of the nation’s most persistent challenges in schools.
LOIS is not just an extracurricular activity; it’s a movement that recognizes the transformative power of student voices.

In a rapidly evolving world where innovation is the key to progress, it is imperative that the voices of tomorrow’s leaders are not only heard but actively involved in shaping the educational landscape.

Through Digital Promise’s Center for Inclusive Innovation (CII), the League of Innovative Students (LOIS) provides a platform for high school students to become catalysts for change. This year’s spring cohort—made up of 43 brilliant student leaders hailing from districts in the League of Innovative Schools across the country—is embarking on a journey of collaboration, creativity, and community impact to transform education.

Elevating Student Voice and Leadership

At the heart of LOIS is a profound belief in the power of student voice and leadership. The initiative recognizes that students should not merely be recipients of education but active contributors to the ongoing dialogue, research, and design of the future of the education landscape.

By fostering an environment that values the unique perspectives of youth, LOIS empowers students to become leaders in schools’ and districts’ discussions surrounding educational equity and social justice, and designers of the systems and structure of education itself.

Design Sprint: A Platform for Innovation

Design sprints are a process in which students, developers, and researchers rapidly co-investigate challenges confronting today’s youth and co-create innovative solutions in a way that centers student voices. This iterative process is invaluable in aligning key stakeholders in the education landscape on what they believe are the most pressing issues and their goals for the future. It also provides an opportunity to identify potential barriers early on in the implementation and design of edtech product testing thanks to the participation of students.

Each design sprint marks a pivotal moment for students in LOIS, and offers an immersive experience that challenges students to think beyond traditional boundaries to develop creative solutions to complex educational problems alongside district leaders, edtech product developers, and education researchers. Design sprints allow for continuous improvement, ensuring that outputs from each sprint remain relevant and impactful in supporting the education and well-being of today’s youth.

This year, the LOIS spring cohort has been meeting together virtually with CII staff members on projects that build their research and design-thinking skills to impact the national education landscape. Their three priority projects are:

Shaping the Digital Promise Challenge Map	Co-Designing a Culturally Responsive Product Framework	Co-Designing EdTech Feedback Loops
Students research the top equity challenges in education faced by their fellow peers and propose innovative solutions to school and district leaders.	Students work side-by-side with entrepreneurs to incorporate their voices and perspectives in developing a national education framework and product “requirements” for equity in educational technology (edtech).	Students collaborate with product developers to create a model and process for collecting input and feedback from learners that will guide the research and design of edtech tools.

Shaping the Digital Promise Challenge Map	Students research the top equity challenges in education faced by their fellow peers and propose innovative solutions to school and district leaders.
Co-Designing a Culturally Responsive Product Framework	Students work side-by-side with entrepreneurs to incorporate their voices and perspectives in developing a national education framework and product “requirements” for equity in educational technology (edtech).
Co-Designing EdTech Feedback Loops	Students collaborate with product developers to create a model and process for collecting input and feedback from learners that will guide the research and design of edtech tools.

To learn more about outcomes for each of the projects and key takeaways for students, visit our web page.

Championing the Power of Collaboration

Student Voice and Leadership are core tenets of the Inclusive Innovation Model, as developed by the Center for Inclusive Innovation. LOIS embodies the importance of collaboration with students in creating meaningful change. Not only do students work alongside district leaders, education policymakers, educational technology developers, and researchers, but they also get to do so alongside peers from across the country.

The cohort model encourages the dynamic exchange of ideas, sharing experiences, and formation of a supportive community. As students co-design and collaborate on projects, they create a network of leaders committed to making a positive difference in their communities and society, in addition to developing innovative solutions that are grounded in practicality and their lived experiences.

The League of Innovative Students is not just an extracurricular activity; it’s a movement that recognizes the transformative power of student voices. By providing a platform for collaboration, fostering creativity, and advocating for Inclusive Innovation approaches to teaching and learning, students are building capacity for schools to address challenges. Students are not just the leaders of tomorrow, but crucial contributors to the innovation and progress of today.

Want to know more about the League of Innovative Students? Visit our web page!