You can access the report here: It Takes an Ecosystem: The Role of Convening Organisations, Local Legacies, and Partnerships in Shaping the Future of Education
Remake Learning is a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based organisation built on the idea that learning opportunities can be found everywhere. They got curious about the ways in which educational ecosystems develop and grow strong, and asked HundrED to help them answer a burning question: What are the best practices we can find in learning ecosystems, and are they the same everywhere?
“We want to see what is distinctive about our own ecosystem, validate practices that are already working well across local institutions and organisations, and identify areas that need further development,” said Remake Learning’s Executive Director, Tyler Samstag.
"The role of the local convener in the community makes such a difference in establishing impactful ecosystems."
But first, how do we define the phrase ‘educational ecosystem’? When we hear the word ‘ecosystem,’ we might immediately think of our earth science lessons in elementary school. Animals, plants, and other organisms in the forest, desert, or ocean, living in relationship with one another based on flows of interaction and information. Sometimes these relationships are supportive, and other times nature can seem unpredictable - biological ecosystems succeed or fail without any conscious decision-making processes. Unlike their biological counterparts, however, educational ecosystems are built upon intentionality and partnership. Their sustainability depends on the conveners and stakeholders that carefully provide the inputs for the ecosystem to thrive.
A joint effort to identify the key ingredients for successful ecosystems
Over the course of three months, Mariah Voutilainen, HundrED’s Research Coordinator, interviewed local educational ecosystem conveners and actors in Bogotá, Colombia, Doncaster, UK, Nairobi, Kenya, and Pittsburgh, USA. Across focus groups and individual discussions, there were striking similarities, but also contextual differences that impacted the ways in which each ecosystem developed and grew. Of the key similarities, Mariah commented,
“It was very clear that cultivating partnerships based on shared goals was the strongest indicator of the ecosystems’ actors and conveners’ self-perceived successes. Really understanding and collaboratively working towards growing those relationships is the first step.”
Differences were based on types of convening organisations, as well as the resources available to them as they navigated the intricacies of local systems, policies, cultures, and on-the-ground practices. Additionally, each city identified slightly different stakeholder groups that may have been missing from their ecosystem. Meghan Hammond, Projects Lead and co-author on the study, reflected on the topic of conveners:
“The role of the local convener in the community makes such a difference in establishing impactful ecosystems. Particularly in large cities like Nairobi and Bogotá, municipal or other elected officials often serve in a powerful convening capacity, but their timelines are tied to election cycles. In Pittsburgh and Doncaster, an independent convening organisation with an interest in building a network of local schools, businesses, and public services can take a more daring approach to help their communities meet needs and achieve goals over a longer timeframe.”
Similarities and differences between the educational ecosystems were analysed to distill three main takeaways from the focus groups and interviews to be shared between the different cities to inspire ecosystemic growth and sustainability:
- Make stronger connections between on-the-ground needs and the larger systemic goals of education ecosystems;
- Invite and activate engagement with stakeholders not fully involved with the education ecosystem; and
- Team up with academics to gather evidence and improve the outcomes.
You can read more about the learnings and each city’s educational ecosystem in the report, It Takes an Ecosystem: The Role of Convening Organisations, Local Legacies, and Partnerships in Shaping the Future of Education, released today.
