Verified by 
Innovation is a team sport. This is the case with almost every groundbreaking idea, from the invention of the lightbulb to the evolution of computers. I believe that education is no different.
Learners from pre-K to college deserve access to better schools and resources, to solutions-oriented teaching tools and models, and to accessible and inspired educators. It’s a big wish list that requires both a massive mental shift in our approach to education as well as the resources to back it up.
That is where initiatives like Griffin Catalyst come in. Launched by businessman Ken Griffin on Sept. 13, it is already one of the largest philanthropic organizations in the country. I’ve worked with Ken’s team on several projects over the years, and they have supported a number of groundbreaking programs, including the global Tools Competition and the Data Science for Everyone coalition, as just two examples.
These programs, and the philanthropic support for them, are vital avenues to empower new ideas and entrepreneurship in education, both here and abroad. Programs like this help address historical and long-standing challenges in education—from equity issues and learning disparities to the ability to more nimbly keep pace with technology shifts such as artificial intelligence (AI).
Case in point: The Tools Competition, which began in 2020 during Covid, and is now a multi-million dollar EdTech competition that spurs innovations in technology, data, and learning science to meet the urgent needs of learners worldwide. By 2026, winning teams will have impacted more than 107 million learners from early childhood to adulthood, addressing opportunity gaps and reaching marginalized populations, all while surfacing new EdTech players and ideas globally. The organization I lead, The Learning Agency, has administered each of the Tools competitions; the competition’s next round launched on Sept. 21.
To date, the Tools Competition is yielding groundbreaking innovations that do everything from providing the world’s first digital developmental pre-K screener for dyslexia to creating virtual reality platforms that re-skill and upskill adult learners on otherwise expensive and logistically prohibitive machinery.
Also being developed and implemented are new tools that help address literacy rates among children of color, social emotional, and mental health platforms to help students learn better in a world where social media, school shootings, and other stressors can affect classroom progress. Support from philanthropies is also spurring efforts to create low-tech tools that help children who are being educated in warzones, under-resourced countries, or communities impacted by severe weather events.
Through our work on the project, I’ve learned that ideas alone are not enough. Bringing solutions from concept to classroom requires resources and networks of learning science researchers, engineers, educators, and others. Driving impact at scale requires support from independent thinkers and those with an uncanny ability to "see around corners" and identify the next big thing.
As one example, Freakonomics author Steve Levitt foresaw years ago that a strong foundation in data-related learning would be crucial to helping students secure better jobs, support their families, and transform communities.
Last year, Forbes ranked data literacy as the second-most in-demand skill over the next ten years. This is why so much effort and attention is being devoted to this area by the Data Science for Everyone (DS4E) coalition, which my organization works on.
Created by the University of Chicago Center for RISC and organized in partnership with the Concord Consortium, DS4E supports a growing community that knows that the data revolution is transforming modern life and understands that K-12 students must be prepared to meet this change. The coalition works to raise awareness and build resources and support to advance data science education.
After all, if the goal of leveling education’s playing field is going to be realized, then approaching it as a team effort is the surest way to get there. A frequently quoted African proverb states: "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."
References
