What I saw again and again was that while education systems try to “fix” individual components — grading, curriculum, testing — no one dares to redesign the whole. Why? Because creating a coherent, integrated educational ecosystem requires deep expertise across multiple domains and the ability to combine those into a living, working model that functions in real life — not just in theory. So I decided to do just that.
Over the past 9 years, I have built and tested a holistic educational innovation in a real working school in Lithuania, called Forvardas. This school serves students from grades 5 to 12, representing the full diversity of learners found in any typical school — from self-driven learners to those with special educational needs. My goal was to build a model that could work in every school.
The system integrates curriculum, assessment, mentoring, and behavior into a single personalized progress ecosystem. Students collect points by mastering micro-units of learning — progressing only when they demonstrate understanding. Teachers work with level-based groups, reducing burnout. Every student has a mentor, and the school supports learning during school hours — not at home.
This system brings structure to personalization. It fosters ownership, clarity, and motivation. It is replicable, and ready to grow — starting in Lithuania, and, I believe, far beyond.
Our innovation functions as a fully integrated learning ecosystem that transforms every core aspect of the school: curriculum, assessment, classroom dynamics, teacher roles, and student motivation. At its core lies a tiered structure based on diagnostic data and prior achievement.
Each subject follows its own matrix of competencies, organized in progressive levels. Students attend lessons according to their current level in each subject — a student might be in the Basic group for math and the Advanced group for English. This allows teachers to stop managing mixed-level chaos and instead act as learning designers and mentors.
Each topic is assigned a point value based on its difficulty and the effort required. These points introduce a gamified element to learning. While they can be converted into grades when necessary, they primarily offer a transparent, motivating, and fair way to track progress.
Because point accumulation is visible daily and weekly, students and mentors can set realistic, measurable goals. This forms the foundation of the VIP (Visible Individual Progress) system, in which the student’s Personal Effectiveness Index shows how consistently they follow and reflect on their weekly plan.
In addition, subject content is delivered through four interdisciplinary, narrative-based seasons — Space, Time, Energy, and Information — that weave knowledge into a meaningful whole.
Educators from other Lithuanian schools have visited Forvardas to observe the system in practice. Some schools have started piloting. As an early commercialization step, we developed part of the model — an individualized, competency-based learning system for Lithuanian, Mathematics, and English — into a working digital tool: www.scoolsy.lt. For two years, public schools have used it to transform classroom practice in these core disciplines. It has generated success stories, teacher advocates, and a growing partner network. Even in its basic technical form, this model fragment has proven commercially viable and pedagogically impactful.
Now we are entering a new phase: scaling the innovation through technology and artificial intelligence (AI). AI adds real value in education only when embedded in a coherent system, not applied to isolated parts. In our model, each student’s path is tracked through growth matrices, point-based assessments, and mentoring data — generating a real-time stream of rich, interconnected information. This forms the foundation for meaningful AI integration, where it becomes a dynamic, data-driven partner for students, teachers, and leaders.
We are preparing to integrate AI in several ways:
Personalized learning: suggesting tasks based on competencies, interests, and engagement.
Mentor assistance: providing real-time insights and recommendations for student support.
Teacher empowerment: offering suggestions for classroom planning, grouping, and task adjustment.
Ethical optimization: promoting autonomy, effort, and reflection — not shortcuts or superficial learning.
In this AI-enhanced vision, teachers aren’t replaced — they’re freed from overload and empowered to focus on deep relationships and learning. Students are seen more clearly, supported more personally, and challenged intelligently.
This isn’t just about technology — it’s about scaling dignity, autonomy, and effectiveness. The deeper the system, the more meaningful AI becomes. We’re seeking partners to co-develop this infrastructure.
You don’t need to reinvent your school overnight. Our model is modular, scalable, and replicable — it can start small, with one subject, one team, or one group of students.
Start with one discipline. For example, use our personalized, competency-based model in Math, Lithuanian, or English via our digital platform Scoolsy.lt. Students progress through clear skill matrices at their own pace, while teachers become mentors and guides.
Join our partner school network. We’re building a collaborative network of Lithuanian schools prototyping either the full model or key components. We offer training, mentoring, and step-by-step support.
Pilot the VIP system. Our Visible Individual Progress (VIP) system helps students, parents, and mentors set weekly learning goals, track outcomes, and reflect. It includes the Personal Effectiveness Index, which tracks how consistently goals are met over time.
Attend a workshop or visit our school. We host regular sessions at Forvardas, the school where this model was created. See the system in action, meet our team, and ask questions.
Let us support you. We provide strategic consulting, teacher training, technical help, and system localization. Whether you're a public school, private initiative, or ministry-level partner — we’re open to cooperation.
Start where you are. Use what you have. Move one step forward. We've built this system so others don't have to — and we're ready to share it.
