Designing Vibrant and Purposeful Learning Communities

A consensus is emerging that education and learning need to become “everyone’s business”, and that the more connected, intertwined and interdependent societies become, the greater the opportunity to leverage our collective efforts to address learning gaps and societal challenges. 

Learning ecosystems bring together diverse providers – not only schools and universities but also non-formal learning institutions, private sector organizations, and government institutions – creating new community-based learning opportunities and pathways to success, both for learners of all ages and for communities. This model, however, challenges conventional education hierarchies and decision making. 

How do learning ecosystems emerge and evolve? What enables or prevents their development? How do they impact a community and to what extent can we measure that?

This is the first of a series of special focus collections that will be released as part of the WISE Learning Ecosystems Living Lab Program launched in 2020. This collection on designing vibrant and useful learning communities will seek to better understand the potential of place-based learning ecosystems in helping communities address critical education challenges and meet societal goals such as resilience and sustainability.

Find out more in articles highlighted below.

Sébastien Turbot CEO and Chief Curator, eko6

Learning Ecosystems – Designing Vibrant and Purposeful Learning Communities

Creating alternative approaches for how we learn together now and in the future. 
Bo Stjerne Thomsen, Chair of Learning through Play, LEGO Foundation

The Future of Learning is in Your Community

Learning Ecosystems can be more connected and interdependent to empower learners of all ages to...
Diana Wells & Flavio Bassi, Ashoka

Everyone a Changemaker Ecosystems: a new framework for the growing up years

How can we prepare young people to thrive in this new world?
Julia Freeland, Director, Clayton Christensen Institute

How John Dewey got his first job—and why it matters for the future of learning ecosystems

Authentic ways by expanding where learning can happen beyond the four walls of school. 
Akshay Chaturvedi, Founder & CEO, Leverage Edu

Cities as Learning Opportunities

The value of Human Capital over Financial Capital has never been more evident for cities.
David Julien, Fernando Daniels & Eduardo Giugliani

Managing Innovation Environments and Ecosystems Capacity-Building Initiatives in Latin America

A space that enables synergy and collaboration between people and organizations.
Keri Facer & Helen Manchester, University of Bristol

Reclaiming the Learning City: Mobilizing Every-day and Expansive Learning for Urban Transformation

Cities are at the forefront of humanity’s responses to widespread and disruptive change. Within fifty...
Alexandra Agudelo, Minister of Education, Medellín

Learning Ecosystem of Medellin

Inclusion and learning for a dignified and peaceful Medellín.
Faten Hani, Director, University of Oman Project Office

Planning a City as a Living Lab for Learning

With the rise of developments in old cities and new cities, an emerging trend of...
Jordi Diaz-Gibson & Alan Daly, NET EDU Project

A Letter to School Leaders

The reality of this pandemic has reminded us as a species that we are deeply...