Dear partners and innovators, 

Do you know a transformative higher ed leader? Maybe it's you? The Lab is now seeking nominations and applicants for the second cohort of our Designers in Residence (DIR) program. 

WHY IT MATTERS
Designers in Residence 2.0: Accelerating Pathways is an opportunity for senior postsecondary leaders to learn human- and equity-centered design and to serve as regional transformation agents to align K-12, postsecondary, and workforce ecosystems. The Lab will support these leaders in the establishment of teams representing all regional stakeholders, who will help test and evaluate ecosystem tools. Institutions will receive a grant of up to $75,000.

THE DESIGN QUESTION
How might we strengthen our leadership role to better drive regional ecosystem alignment for Black, Latino, and students from low-income backgrounds to earn an associate degree one year from high school graduation?

THE TIMELINE
Designers in Residence will kick off by meeting in person in Washington, D.C., on June 6 and 7, followed by monthly (virtual) design sessions and regular updates with the Lab team and a DIR Cohort I mentor between June 2023 and November 2024.

HOW TO NOMINATE + APPLY

• Nominations are accepted until Feb. 24. Nominate a colleague here.
• Applications are due by March 17. Apply here.

You do not have to be nominated in order to apply!

GO DEEPER

• Learn more about the program and applicant criteria on the DIR website.
• Download + print the program overview (PDF).

Sabina Sariyska is excited to bring her hybrid background to the Lab as an Instructional Designer. She is a creator for XCredit, the Community College Growth Engine Fund, and the Data Collaborative.

Prior to joining the Lab, Sabina walked many paths, from creating interactive art installations to working as a respiratory therapist in neonatal units around the nation. Outside of work, Sabina enjoys the Colorado sunshine, gardening, dancing, audiobooks, and puzzles.

Learn more about Sabina.

In January, the Lab and U.S. Chamber Foundation hosted a webinar to launch Experience You, which one participant called "the most exciting and promising technology of 2023."

Taylor Hansen, executive director of policy and programs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Center for Education and Workforce, summarizes the project in this Jan. 30 blog post: 

"Experience You will explore how emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) can aggregate unstructured learning and employment data and convert it into machine readable, structured data as an LER. Experience You strives to address concerns around digital trust models, tools for verification, and the building of credentials that hold present and future value in our learning to employment ecosystem." 

Experience You participants will demonstrate their AI technologies at the T3 Innovation Network’s Mid-Year Meeting this July in Washington, D.C. 

The 2023 Badge Summit will take place July 24-26, 2023, in Boulder, Colorado, with a virtual summit to follow on Aug. 14. Session proposals are being accepted through Feb. 24.