Learning Salons

Project Overview

The Learning Salon model pilot was designed to enable school districts to broaden their lens on solutions to meet the needs of historically and systematically excluded students through a rapid-cycle co-design approach, with solutions created by BIPOC solution providers, anchored in each district’s problem of practice. Learning Salons are conducted in an environment that prioritizes opportunities for districts and schools to collaborate on problems of practice with the purpose of discovering innovative, effective student-centered systems, programs and practices. The Learning Salons provided:

Opportunities for districts and solution providers to collaborate on problems of practice to discover innovative, effective student-centered systems, programs, and practices
A platform for solution providers to share their deep expertise on high-priority challenge areas and showcase their solutions and impact

Learning Salons Model

The participants and components of Learning Salons include: :

School Districts from the League of Innovative Schools – a subset of League school districts participated in the pilot Salons.
Equity Solutions – we collaborate with like-minded partners who work with organizations who have core values centered in equity and/or support entrepreneurs-of-color or develop equity-centered solutions.
A Model for Engaging in Collaborative Opportunities – we centered the district’s problem of practice as the guidepost for sourcing solution providers culminating with a matching process to connect the districts and providers based on alignment and mutual interest.
Relevant Topics and Subject Matters – The topics were sourced from Digital Promise’s Challenge Map where more than 500 public school and district staff members from across the U.S. participated in research to share their highest-priority challenges in education. In collaboration with each Salon partner, we decided on topics aligned most closely with their areas of focus and the entrepreneurs in their portfolio.

This journey map offers a visual overview of the Inclusive Innovation process for this project. The project story follows below.

Learning Salons Process

Understanding that teaching and learning solutions today must embody a set of principles to address and embrace a diverse student population and equity-based challenges, the Learning Salon experience was focused on showcasing the expertise of the BIPOC solution providers with content and context expertise to address districts’ challenge areas.

Each Learning Salon engaged district leaders and BIPOC solution providers in a co-design experience to source solutions that met their needs. At the end of the process, the district emerged with solution ideas connected to the providers and created a space conducive to:

Provide opportunities for districts and BIPOC solution providers to collaborate on addressing district problems of practice by creating district awareness of innovative, equitable student-centered programs, tools, and models.
Create a platform for solution providers to share their deep expertise on high-priority challenge areas and showcase their solutions and impact
Codify learnings and outcomes on the process and experience

5-phase engagement model: Pre-Work, Framing, Analysis, Exploration, Reflection

Salon Prep (Pre-Work)*

The salon prep served as a form of readiness for both district teams and providers. Districts were able to submit their problem statement and participate in a root-causes analysis in an effort to diagnose their named problem of practice.

Solution providers reviewed the district’s problem statement, completed analysis, and shared a one-pager for district teams to review ahead of engaging in the salon.

Expert Panel and Problem of Practice (Framing)

The goal of the panel was to position providers as experts having the content and context understanding of the problem and bringing their lived experience to the table. A facilitator posed several questions to the panel allowing for the solution providers to demonstrate their expertise within the Salon’s theme.

Co-Design Part 1 (Analysis)

The analysis was intended to further diagnose and/or inquire of the root causes surrounding the district’s problem of practice. Having reviewed the district’s pre-work ahead of the Salon, solution providers used the analysis to uncover additional root causes and/or ask more questions to get a deeper level of understanding into their problem of practice.

Solution Strategy Mapping**

The mapping offered an opportunity for district leaders and solution providers to ideate on possible solutions to a district’s challenge outside of the scope of providers participating in the salon.

Co-Design Part 2 (Exploration)

In the exploration phase, district teams and providers were paired and explored emerging co-design opportunities. Pairing continued to rotate until each district and provider had the opportunity to discuss potential connections for co-designing a solution.

Feedback

Feedback was critical throughout the salon and showcase pilots and was integrated within the live sessions, post-Salon surveys and debriefs with district teams, providers, and partners. We were particularly interested in getting in-person immediate reactions to the experience for the most unfiltered opinions.

Salon Prep (Pre-Work)*

The salon prep served as a form of readiness for both district teams and providers. Districts were able to submit their problem statement and participate in a root-causes analysis in an effort to diagnose their named problem of practice.

Solution providers reviewed the district’s problem statement, completed analysis, and shared a one-pager for district teams to review ahead of engaging in the salon.

Expert Panel and Problem of Practice (Framing)

The goal of the panel was to position providers as experts having the content and context understanding of the problem and bringing their lived experience to the table. A facilitator posed several questions to the panel allowing for the solution providers to demonstrate their expertise within the Salon’s theme.

Co-Design Part 1 (Analysis)

The analysis was intended to further diagnose and/or inquire of the root causes surrounding the district’s problem of practice. Having reviewed the district’s pre-work ahead of the Salon, solution providers used the analysis to uncover additional root causes and/or ask more questions to get a deeper level of understanding into their problem of practice.

Solution Strategy Mapping**

The mapping offered an opportunity for district leaders and solution providers to ideate on possible solutions to a district’s challenge outside of the scope of providers participating in the salon.

Co-Design Part 2 (Exploration)

In the exploration phase, district teams and providers were paired and explored emerging co-design opportunities. Pairing continued to rotate until each district and provider had the opportunity to discuss potential connections for co-designing a solution.

Feedback

Feedback was critical throughout the salon and showcase pilots and was integrated within the live sessions, post-Salon surveys and debriefs with district teams, providers, and partners. We were particularly interested in getting in-person immediate reactions to the experience for the most unfiltered opinions.

*Created and embedded into the model after the first Learning Salon
**Exclusive to the in-person model

Social and Emotional Learning and Family Engagement

Districts and solution providers engage in root cause analysis and solution mapping focused on district problems of practice in social-emotional learning (SEL) and Family Engagement.

Catalyst:Ed Camelback Ventures

California, Ohio, New York (2 districts)

Mental Health and Trauma-Informed Practices

The Mental Health and Trauma-Informed Practices Learning Salon is tailored for district leaders to workshop a problem of practice with solution providers who lead culturally responsive high-impact systems and programs.

PENN GSE

Florida, Pennsylvania, New York (2 districts)

Real-World Learning

Designed for district leaders to discover innovative, equity-first learning solutions specific to real-world application in support of students furthest from opportunity.

LeanLab Education

California, Missouri, New Jersey

Diverse Leaders Showcase

A showcase featuring a range of BIPOC edtech entrepreneurs and solution providers actively shaping the education landscape.

newschools InnovateEDU

Various districts, non- and for-profit organizations, and funders

Social Studies

Designed for district leaders to discover innovative, equity-first learning solutions specific to social studies.

Various districts

Social Studies Uncut Showcase

A showcase featuring future-forward social studies organizations specializing in resources that embody cultural relevance and reflect students’ history and experiences.

Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland DOE, Massachusetts DOE, Minnesota DOE, Nevada DOE, Pennsylvania DOE, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Other