Center for Inclusive Innovation

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Digital Promise’s Center for Inclusive Innovation reimagines education research and development (R&D) by resourcing the creative ingenuity of communities working in partnership with school districts to create equitable powerful learning opportunities for students furthest from opportunity.

Our Vision is a world where students who are furthest from opportunity can learn, grow, and thrive as their authentic selves.

Our Outcomes are focused on creating the conditions and the capacity for R&D that enable districts to collaborate with communities to create bold, innovative, and sustainable solutions.

The foundation for Inclusive Innovation is anchored in a set of six tenets: four practice tenets that guide the daily process of engaging in education R&D and two impact tenets that guide the outcomes. Together, they define how the Center for Inclusive Innovation deliberately supports school district and community teams collaborating with researchers and developers in co-constructing an inclusive R&D culture that enables leadership and contribution.

Core Tenets of Inclusive Innovation


Collective Ownership	The work is co-led, co-researched, and co-designed by collaborators who are reflective of the diversity of communities and schools to ensure mutual benefit.
Student Voice and Leadership	Students are collaborators and their perspectives are prioritized in the creation of solutions to educational challenges.
Context Expertise and Proximity	Context expertise is emphasized to center the history, identities, and perspectives of those with lived experiences relevant to the educational challenge.
Continuity of Equity	Deeply integrated research and design practices address the intersections and conditions that impact students.
Re-Imagine Progress	Progress measures must be multidimensional to ensure the access, participation, and benefit of those most impacted.
Build Capacity	The process resources communities to sustain capacity for R&D into the future.

	Collective Ownership
	The work is co-led, co-researched, and co-designed by collaborators who are reflective of the diversity of communities and schools to ensure mutual benefit.
	Student Voice and Leadership
	Students are collaborators and their perspectives are prioritized in the creation of solutions to educational challenges.
	Context Expertise and Proximity
	Context expertise is emphasized to center the history, identities, and perspectives of those with lived experiences relevant to the educational challenge.
	Continuity of Equity
	Deeply integrated research and design practices address the intersections and conditions that impact students.
	Re-Imagine Progress
	Progress measures must be multidimensional to ensure the access, participation, and benefit of those most impacted.
	Build Capacity
	The process resources communities to sustain capacity for R&D into the future.

The Center for Inclusive Innovation builds on 10 years of collaboration with school districts in the League of Innovative Schools and is informed by our Education Innovation Clusters ecosystems initiative with community networks. Over the years, we have engaged school districts, researchers, entrepreneurs, and community-based organizations in addressing local challenges through R&D. As a Digital Promise Center of Excellence, we are building capacity for paradigm-shifting practices and the creation of novel solutions.

We invite you to learn about our work and reach out to discuss opportunities for collaboration!

Center for Inclusive Innovation

Core Tenets of Inclusive Innovation

Collective Ownership

The work is co-led, co-researched, and co-designed by collaborators who are reflective of the diversity of communities and schools to ensure mutual benefit.

Student Voice and Leadership

Students are collaborators and their perspectives are prioritized in the creation of solutions to educational challenges.

Context Expertise and Proximity

Context expertise is emphasized to center the history, identities, and perspectives of those with lived experiences relevant to the educational challenge.

Continuity of Equity

Deeply integrated research and design practices address the intersections and conditions that impact students.

Re-Imagine Progress

Progress measures must be multidimensional to ensure the access, participation, and benefit of those most impacted.

Build Capacity

The process resources communities to sustain capacity for R&D into the future.