Contributive Learning™ was developed to tackle the common issue of misalignment between vision, policy, and practice in education. This misalignment often results in poor implementation and ineffective learning experiences for students. By integrating academic learning and well-being into everyday experiences, Contributive Learning™ helps leadership teams strengthen learning cultures, build leader and teacher capacity, and create environments that engage and empower both students and teachers. As technology and AI become more prevalent, honing human skills through Contributive Learning™ is crucial for thriving together in our world.
We collaborate closely with district leadership, school leaders, and classroom teachers to unpack assumptions, foster the right culture, and refine pedagogy to meet the diverse needs of all students. Contributive Learning™ primarily focuses on integrating academic learning and well-being into everyday experiences through a strengths-based approach. This approach builds a learning culture where students develop their identities and aspirations, foster meaningful connections, and acquire competencies and knowledge. This helps them find meaning and fulfillment, enabling them to contribute positively to the world.
We facilitate professional learning and provide coaching to the school community using evidence-based practices that can be integrated into various educational settings transforming learning for the entire community and improving student outcomes. The Learner First's delivery model involves working with school/district leadership to create a bespoke program based on specific strengths and improvement areas for their community.
In getting to know the community, we gather evidence in various forms, including using our system capability rubrics, which reflect culture—who we are, what we believe as individuals and as a system, and how these identities and beliefs show up in practice and learning. In partnership, we customize strategies and support, ultimately improving experiences and measurable outcomes for students, educators, and community.
In 2019 when renowned educational thought leader and founder of The Learner First, Joanne McEachen, published the book, Measuring Human Return: Understand and Assess What Really Matters for Deeper Learning, it created global interest across educational communities.
Contributive Learning has since spread to school communities in multiple locations across the globe. Each partnership is focused on system improvement that intentionally focuses on meaningful learning that aligns with students’ lives, identities, and the outcomes that genuinely matter in our rapidly changing, global communities. Leaning on our key principles of holistic development, learner agency, real-world learning, and community and collaboration, partner schools have seen positive outcomes across their school as each member of the community is empowered to discover their unique identity, understand their place in the world, and actively contribute to a brighter future.
Chrissie Coogan, a school leader in Queensland, Australia said about Contributive Learning, "The work is meaningful, it's purposeful, it has intent...our students, our staff, our leaders have a stronger sense of connection to do our job of learning and then our job of contributing to the community in which we work and learn in."
Our work with each school is bespoke. Please reach out to connect with us at info@thelearnerfirst.com to discuss your wants and needs for your community. We look forward to working with your school community.
