OUR JOURNEY 2022
Once upon a time, three years ago, we set out to make history learning better. But we didn’t create curriculum or programs. We built a transformation engine.
And what do we do with this engine?
We change history learning systems with...
What on earth does that mean?
We find partners with whom we can move a BIG LEVER to change a BROKEN SYSTEM.
Then we get creative and get going. And for us at the Co:Lab, 2022 was a break-through year.
But before we get to that, a quick recap: Back in 2019, we started our quest by looking at the system that was keeping broken formats of learning in place. The drill and kill, the lack of funding, the stale narratives–all of it. And we realized that to change history learning, we have to:
Change what’s measured and valued in school Create local ecosystems of learning Codify and spread the kind of learning that works Change people’s mindset about why history matters Empower youth and museums to bring their voices and genius into learning
Not surprisingly, lots of people said we’d never succeed. That it was too much to take on. That you have to create a discrete intervention. But we trusted our gut and our Ashoka-compass for systems-change through open, fluid teamsof-teams (yes, that's a thing) and…
…we found a brilliant team of educators led by Emily and co:piloted a local ecosystem in Kansas City. We co:created templates for powerful place-based, project-based learning on history and tested them. With a group of teens, we co:created a youth podcast UnTextbooked that won an award from Apple and Spotify and we co:wrote a white paper on the Future of Assessment with High Resolves. And we kept going.
And all the while, we found people along the yellow brick road with a piece of the solution. People who understand the teen brain, how to foster a sense of belonging for all, how to build tech platforms for scale, how to design games, how to work with schools, how to weave…
And we created sandboxes for people to play in. Or rather, we created tinkerstudios for co:creation and co:nnection moments to spark lasting co:llaboration.
[Pssst…do you have any idea how HARD that is?!]
AND THEN CAME 2022! Three key things happened:
Travel became possible, and with it we got to travel to 40 cities to increase the chance of random accidents and particle collision.
The post-Covid crisis in education opened a window in peoples' mind to see opportunities for radical change and the need for collaboration.
US democracy continued to wobble, and Russia attacked the Ukraine, making the need to spread a global view of democracy more urgent than ever.
With this combination of freedom, opportunity, and urgency we got stuff done.
We built an incredible team with Sarah, CeCe and Jeff and many other part-timers and co:creators in our expanded team-of-teams
We expanded our local civic learning ecosystem in KC with the Hall Family Foundation, formed a collaboration with the Grable Foundation to activate the same in Pittsburgh, and are partnering with the Carnegie Foundation and EdReimagined to scale learning ecosystems nationwide.
We built and now lead a network of museums connected in their intent to strengthen civic learning across America as part of implementing the Educating for American Democracy Roadmap. We formed a partnership with the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and World Savvy to build out the global dimension of the roadmap.
We piloted a project with the LEGO Foundation and Education for Sharing on activating museums as hubs of inspired learning through play that we will continue. We formed a partnership with XQ to define powerful Learning Experiences, and with the Smithsonian to help bring powerful museum-inspired learning to every classroom.
We collaborated with our partners at EuroClio to globalize youth-led, project-based, place-based learning with a toolkit for delivering such experiences on the horrors of National Socialism and rallied to organize and support the printing and digitization--with Area9 Rhapsode-- of a groundbreaking textbook on Ukrainian history and civics to nurture a generation of informed and inspired citizens...despite the horrors of war.
And our youth podcast UnTextbooked is now solidly in the top 3% of all US podcasts, and through our partnership with Penguin Random House, has expanded to the format of live youthmoderated sessions with inspiring leaders, including Gloria Steinem and Nikole Hannah Jones.
It was a fantastic year, and we are set to have a busy and impactful one ahead. Together with our partners we will continue to work to fulfill our vision, which is the same as it always was:
“A future in which everyone is empowered to advance the wellbeing of themselves, others and the planet in a thriving democracy.”
We will continue on our mission to catalyze the co-creation and scale of deep and joyful learning experiences that unlock the power of history so that all young people can develop a sense of self, belonging, community, context and agency.
We are deeply grateful for all of our co:creators, co:llaborators and co:conspirators, for our investors, community members and fellow-travelers.
We hope you will support us and walk with us as we continue our journey.
Thank you!
