Tuesday, April 5, 2022 // 11:00 AM
Harbor D, Level 2

Single moms are 10 percent of all college learners and at some community colleges, they make up roughly 30 percent of learners. The Lab’s Single Moms Success Design Challenge is working with four community colleges to help them answer the design question of, “How might community colleges dramatically improve completion rates for single mothers by intentionally addressing the unique needs of this population?” Join us for a deep dive discussion to understand the design process, new models, and early results.

Moderator: Binh Thuy Do, Senior Director, Education Design Lab

Speakers:
+ Alisa F. Wells, Director of Community Engagement & Wraparound Support at Ivy Tech Community College, Ivy Tech Community College
+ Tamika Duplessis, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Delgado Community College
+ Rosario Torres, Program Officer, ECMC Foundation

Materials:
+ VIDEO recording on YouTube
+ Session packet: Designing with and for Single Moms
+ Project website: Single Moms Success
+ Design Insights Brief: Single Moms Success Design Challenge

Tuesday, April 5, 2022 // 3:00 PM
Harbor A, Level 2

Early adopters of micro-pathways believe them to be a gateway to transforming community colleges to better connect labor supply with talent demand. Micro-pathways are defined as two or more stackable credentials, which must include a 21st century skills micro-credential, that can be achieved within less than a year and result in a job at or above the median local wage. Join the Education Design Lab for a discussion with community college and system leaders on how the design process used to develop and launch micro-pathways have been used as a gateway to drive broader systems transformation across participating institutions in the Community College Growth Engine Fund.

Moderator: Kathleen deLaski, Founder + CEO, Education Design Lab

Speakers:
+ Lee Lambert, J.D., Chancellor, Pima Community College
+ Dr. Shouan Pan, Chancellor, Seattle Colleges
+ Dr. Rufus Glasper, President, The League Innovation for the Community College

Materials
+ Session video recording on YouTube
+ Video short: What is a micro-pathway?
+ Project website: Community College Growth Engine Fund
+ Design Insights Brief: Community College Growth Engine Fund Micro-pathways: A Gateway to Community College Transformation
+ Micro-pathways: Explore all 30+ by industry sector

Tuesday, April 5, 2022 // 4:40 PM
Cityview A, 32nd Floor

What is your role in making sure the new skills-based hiring innovations like tools, platforms, digital wallets, micro-credentials, learning models, and more actually create more visibility for learners and earners? Whether you are an employer, an ed tech entrepreneur, a nonprofit or a college administrator, you have a role in shaping the emerging skills-based ecosystem. The Lab’s Skills Visibility framework articulates a clear vision, rationale, and roadmap for how each stakeholder can do their part to unlock the visible learner-earner in the new skills-based economy. As we continue to unbundle traditional degrees and integrate machine learning, AI, AR/oyetVR, metaverse, and more to democratize, personalize and incentivize learning, training and hiring, there is one common thread that is the linchpin to ensuring an equitable future: VISIBILITY. Join the Lab for a boundary-spanning workshop to align on a vision and map the jobs-to-be-done by the various ecosystem stakeholders including states, higher education and workforce development entities, employers, ed tech, philanthropy, and others.

Moderator: Dr. Naomi Boyer, Executive Director, Digital Transformation, Education Design Lab

Speakers:
+ Jason Tyszko, Vice President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
+ Jeanne Kitchens, Chief Technology Services Officer, Credential Engine
+ Luke Dowden, Chief Online Learning Officer, Alamo Colleges District

Materials:
+ Session packet: Designing the New Skills-Based Economy packet
+ Session poster: Designing the New Skills-Based Economy poster
+ Stakeholder mapping follow-up session (April 22): http://bit.ly/designing-skills

+ March 2022 paper: Skills Visibility: Why and How a Skills-Based Economy can be More Equitable

Wednesday, April 6, 2022 // 10:10 AM
Coronado D, Level 4

Employers are hungry to find innovative ways to assess and acquire talent without needing everyone to have a traditional four-year degree. “XCredit,” or Experience Credit, signals to employers the skills attained informally on the job or in life such as oral communication, critical thinking, problem solving, and other 21st century skills. With investment from Walmart, the Education Design Lab has been designing, testing, and piloting two approaches to assessing and validating these skills. Join us for an employer-focused discussion on the future of skills validation through an emerging platform: XCredit.

Moderator: Dr. Naomi Boyer, Executive Director, Digital Transformation, Education Design Lab

Speakers:
+ Deanna Parker, Occupational Analyst, Solutions for Information Design, LLC
+ David McCool, President & CEO, Muzzy Lane Software
+ Eli Weisman, Chief Growth Officer, Talespin
+ Sean Murphy, Director, Walmart

Materials:
+ Session video recording on YouTube
+ Article: How XCredit Can Help Job Seekers in the Skills-Based Economy
+ Project website: XCredit
+ Learn more about our partner: Muzzy Lane
+ Learn more about our partner: Talespin

Monday, April 4, 2022 // 3:00 PM
Solana Beach A, Level 3

The need for upskilling and reskilling is real—but so is the complexity of the range of solutions emerging. From a widening short-form credentials landscape to the development of Learning and Employment Record technology, solutioning efforts are vast and are moving rapidly. Join us as our panelists discuss the needs and challenges with advancing skills-based education and hiring practices at scale. Our experts will discuss the need for breaking down silos through open skills and the importance of interoperable, open data standards.

Moderator: Kacey Thorne, Director of Skills Architecture, WGU

Speakers:
+ Patti Constantakis, Director, Corporate Philanthropy- Walmart.org, Walmart
+ Jeanne Kitchens, Chief Technology Services Officer, Credential Engine
+ Amanda Winters, Program Director, Post Secondary Education, National Governors Association
+ Kathleen deLaski, Founder & CEO, Education Design Lab
+ Darin Hobbs, VP of Academic Records, WGU

Tuesday, April 5, 2022 // 11:00 AM
Coronado B, Level 4

Catalyze is a collaborative funding engine that awards prizes for innovative, early-stage models that leverage career-connected learning to support students in accessing living wage careers.  The Challenge funds programs along three thematic areas of focus: 1) Real-world learning and career exposure models that allow students, especially in early years, to develop career identities, wherever students can be most effectively served; 2) Innovative models that prepare students for post-HS transitions to family-sustaining jobs and careers; 3) Earliest stage radical, out-of-the-box proposals that have the potential to transform how we effectively prepare America’s young people for their careers. Join the panel as they discuss the program and hear from Catalyze Challenge winners on their innovative solutions and impact they are driving with students around the United States. 

Moderator: George Vinton, CEO, Common Group

Speakers:
+ Daquan Oliver, Founder and CEO, WeThrive
+ Dr. Kim Alexander, CEO, Collegiate Edu-Nation
+ Dr. Lauren Thomas Quigley, Senior Advisor of Curriculum, Impact, and Innovation, Hack the Hood
+ Dr. Naomi Boyer, Executive Director, Digital Transformation, Education Design Lab

Materials:
+ Project website: Propel Polk!